Unemployment, Welfare, SSD and SSI Disability Benefits

[tcmgpt13]

This is an extensive discussion, putting together all the various places to seek help when unemployed. Although it was written and geared towards the state of New Jersey some of the information outlined will give some idea of the different programs and show how they each work. Since the original article was published in 2006 some of the information will not be up to date, but this can be a starting point to understand how the different "systems" of financial aid tie together. It also outlines who will qualify for what benefits. If you have minor children this can affect some of the benefits too. Each state will of course have different rules as far as unemployment benefits, who will qualify and for how long:

LSNJLAW - Unemployment, Welfare, and Social Security Disability/SSI Benefits: How They Affect One Another

Unemployment, Welfare, and Social Security Disability/SSI Benefits: How They Affect One Another

This article will help you understand the requirements of Unemployment (UI), Welfare (TANF/GA), and Social Security Disability (SSI/SSDI). Finding the program that is right for you will save time and allow you to get the most help possible.

I. Unemployment Compensation (UI)

New Jersey’s Unemployment Insurance Program (UI) gives cash benefits to people who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. In order to be eligible, you must have consistently worked during the past year. The program is run by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Unemployment Insurance Division.

What are the basic eligibility requirements for UI?

In order to be eligible for UI, you must:

• Have worked at a job covered by the State Unemployment Compensation Law. If you have questions about whether your job is covered, call the Unemployment Insurance Division at one of the call centers listed below.
• Have earned at least $6,200 in covered employment or worked 20 weeks (earning at least $123/week) in a 52-week period.
• File an application for unemployment benefits.
• State that you are able to work.
• Register for work at a State Employment Services or One-Stop Office. Check the blue pages of your local phone book or contact one of the call centers below to find your local office.
• Actively seek employment and periodically report job search efforts (unless you are attending a full-time training program approved in advance by the Department).
• Be available for work and willing to accept a suitable job offer (unless you are in an approved training program).
• Have lost your job through no fault of your own, or for minor offenses that would not be considered gross misconduct. Voluntarily quitting a job without good cause will disqualify you from receiving benefits.

You can file an unemployment benefit application online or by phone at one of three call centers: Union City (201-601-4100), Freehold (732-761-2020), or Cumberland (856-507-2340). They will also answer your questions. More information is available online.
How much will I get in unemployment?

Usually you will get 60% of your average weekly income, but no more than $521 per week. Your benefits will be paid to you once a week. Benefits are paid up to 26 weeks. If you worked less than what is required, you may get less than 26 weeks of benefits. If you are in an approved training program, benefits beyond 26 weeks may be available. Training programs are usually available for high-demand jobs, and are designed to improve your marketable work skills and earning power. Find out more by contacting one of the call centers mentioned below.
What if my doctor limits the work I can do or says that I can’t work at all?

Be sure to think through your ability to work when you apply for unemployment benefits. If a doctor has placed limitations on your ability to work, you should be ready to provide documentation of your work limitations. If you are unable to do work of any kind, you should consider applying for Welfare (TANF/GA) and/or Social Security Disability (SSI/SSDI), rather than Unemployment. The various programs can and will share information when determining eligibility, so it is best to provide all information up front and apply for the program(s) that best fit your circumstances.

Are there other unemployment programs and resources that can help me?

Other programs are also available through the Unemployment Insurance Division. If you were eligible for unemployment benefits, but became disabled after becoming unemployed, you may be eligible to receive benefits from the Disability During Unemployment Program. If you are employed but have become temporarily unable to work due to an illness or injury not caused by the job, you may be eligible to receive benefits through the Temporary Disability Insurance Program. If you think you may be eligible for one of these programs, you should contact your local unemployment office.
If you have a disability or work limitations, the New Jersey Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (609-292-5987) can recommend what jobs or programs would be a good match for you. There is usually no charge for this service.

II. Welfare (TANF/GA)

Welfare (Work First New Jersey, or WFNJ) gives cash assistance to very low-income single adults (General Assistance, or GA) and families with minor children (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, or TANF). Additional support services may be available for childcare, work transportation, work expenses, emergency housing, shelter, and utility assistance.

What are the basic eligibility requirements for TANF/GA?

In order to be eligible for TANF/ GA, you must:

• Meet income eligibility requirements, which are based on the number of people in your household and household income (earned or unearned).
• Meet WFNJ resource (asset) requirements. Usually this will mean less than $2,000 in countable assets. Certain assets are not counted, such as some vehicles, personal items, life insurance, the home that you live in, and some others.
• Provide necessary documentation and personal identification, including a Social Security number, for all household members.
• Be a U.S. citizen or qualify as an eligible alien.

If otherwise eligible, you must also comply with all of the following requirements in order to continue receiving benefits:

• Register for work at a New Jersey One-Stop Career Center. You will have to cooperate with work requirements or obtain a deferral. If you have a disability, are over 60, or pregnant and in your third trimester, you are eligible for a deferral. A deferral may also be available if you are the sole caregiver for a disabled child or adult.
• Apply for all other types of benefits that might be available to you.
• Cooperate with child support obligations.
• Sign an agreement to repay benefits if additional income or resources are received.
• Sign an Individual Responsibility Plan, which outlines your plan for obtaining employment, education, and/or training.

Your benefits may be reduced or ended if you are jailed, voluntarily quit your job without good cause, commit a drug-related offense, or make false or misleading statements to get benefits.

You can apply for benefits at your local County Board of Social Services. More information is available by phone at 1-800-792-9773 and online at Department of Human Services workfirstnj.html.
How much will I get in benefits?

If you are an employable single adult on GA, you will get no more than $140 per month. If you have a work deferral, you will get no more than $210 per month. TANF benefit amounts depend on how many people are in the assistance unit. An assistance unit is a group of people living together who are related by blood or some other legal relationship (adoption, guardianship, marriage). For one person, the maximum monthly benefit would be $162. For two people it would be $322, and $424 for three.

Do I have to register for work if I’m collecting welfare?

Applicants who can work must register for work and cooperate with TANF/GA work requirements. Work program participation is required for up to 35 hours per week.

What if I’m unable to work?

If you cannot work, you may obtain a deferral and will be required to file for any applicable SSI/SSDI benefits. Legal Services of New Jersey’s SSI Project helps GA and TANF beneficiaries who have been medically deferred from work with their SSI/SSDI claims. To contact the SSI Project, call the number at the end of this article.

III. The Social Security Disability Programs (SSDI/SSI)

There are two Social Security Disability Programs, Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The Social Security Administration (SSA) runs both. SSDI and SSI have the same requirements for determining disability, but work history and income requirements, benefit amounts, and health care coverage are different.

(continued)

[tcmgpt13]

Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

SSI is a federal welfare program that provides cash assistance and health care coverage (Medicaid) to people 65 or older and people who are blind or disabled. You do not need to have a work history, but you must meet income and resource (asset) requirements. SSI benefits are only paid to the applicant, not to any dependents. SSI recipients are enrolled in the Medicaid program rather than Medicare, and insurance is effective immediately (once approved, it is retroactive to the date of the application), without the waiting period for those receiving SSDI.
What are the basic SSI eligibility requirements and benefits?

• You must be over 65, blind, or disabled in accordance with the Social Security definitions (same as for SSDI).
• Your income must be under SSI limits.
• Certain types of income are not counted for SSI purposes.
• You must have countable resources in an amount below the current resource levels. A single person is allowed $2,000 in countable resources. A married couple is allowed $3,000 in countable resources. Certain resources, such as the home that the recipient lives in, will not be counted.
• You must complete an application for SSI.

The federal benefit amount for 2006 is $603 per month (in January 2007, it will be raised to $623), and the state supplements this amount by $31.25 monthly for single people living alone. The total SSI benefit is $634.25. These maximum SSI benefit amounts can be reduced based on existing household income, living arrangements, and other factors.

How does disability/work status affect an SSI/SSDI claim?

You must meet a specific disability definition in order to be approved for benefits. You must be unable to engage in substantial gainful work activity because of a mental and/or physical disability that has lasted, or will last, for at least 12 months. With some limited exceptions, you normally cannot do substantial work during the first 12 months that you claim you were disabled.

Once you are receiving SSI or SSDI benefits, if you want to try to return to work, there are work incentive programs. These programs sometimes allow you to keep getting benefits for a time while you test your ability to work. Other programs allow you to receive free vocational rehabilitation services, or keep Medicare/Medicaid coverage even after you have returned to work and stopped getting cash benefits. Confidential and free benefits planning services are available to explain these programs and how work might affect your benefits. Call NJWINS (1-877- 659-4672) or visit their Web site. This service can provide you with important information about your ability to work and receive benefits.

You can file an application for SSDI or SSI benefits at the local Social Security office or by telephone at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-077eight) You can file an SSDI application online.

IV. How Does One Program Affect the Others?

If You are Receiving Unemployment and SSDI/SSI
Medical considerations. The Social Security Administration and the Unemployment office can and will share information when they determine eligibility. If you apply for both, you must be ready to explain how you will be able to comply with unemployment’s work requirements while also claiming a disability.

Examples of situations where it might make sense to file both claims include:

• If you become disabled after becoming unemployed, or become unable to work while employed due to an illness or injury not caused by the job.
• If you are unsure whether you can hold a job, you might apply for both programs, with the intention of dropping one once your disability status is clear. Applying for both would protect your rights with both programs, since benefits sometimes only begin with the date of application (not when you actually became unemployed or disabled).
• If you think you can do some part-time, sheltered, or accommodated work that is less than what Social Security considers substantial and gainful, you might apply for both programs.

Unemployment Compensation (UI)

Welfare TANF/GA

SSI

SSDI

Do you need to have a disability?

No

No

Yes*

Yes

Are you required to work?

Yes

No**

No

No

Are there resource (asset) and income limits?

No

Yes

Yes

No

Must you have worked in the past?

Yes

No

No

Yes***

See link to view the chart which is truncated from copying:

(CONTINUED)

LSNJLAW - Unemployment, Welfare, and Social Security Disability/SSI Benefits: How They Affect One Another

[tcmgpt13]

* If you are 65 or older, you do not need to prove disability to collect SSI.
** TANF/GA generally requires people to register for work and cooperate with program work requirements.You might be able to receive a deferral if you cannot work.
*** Not all SSDI recipients have an earnings test. Some children, husbands, wives, or disabled widows do not need to have worked in the past to collect SSDI.

Financial considerations. There are no financial requirements for SSDI, so unemployment benefits will have no financial impact on the receipt of SSDI. For SSI recipients, however, there are important considerations. SSI will consider unemployment benefits to be unearned income. All unearned income over $20 will be counted against your SSI check. This means that your SSI benefit will be reduced by one dollar for every dollar you receive in unearned income.
As with welfare, SSI recipients are required by law to apply for any other benefit for which they might be eligible. If there is any question about your ability to work, you may also be required to file an application for unemployment benefits.

If You are Receiving General Assistance and SSI

GA benefits are temporary and for people who are planning to return to work or are unable to work. If you are unable to work, GA can bridge the gap while your SSI claim is pending. When you apply for GA, you must sign a contract with the State of New Jersey, in which you agree to repay the benefits if your SSI application is approved. These benefits are called Interim Assistance Benefits, and will cover the gap between the time of your SSI application and the time you begin to receive SSI benefits. These benefits will be repaid once your SSI benefits begin. The SSA will send your retroactive benefit check directly to the State. The State will then take the amount of benefits paid to you and send you any remaining SSI funds. The State can only take the amount of GA benefits that was paid during the time that you were also entitled to SSI benefits.

If You are Receiving General Assistance and SSDI

Since SSDI is not a needs-based benefit, SSA will not send a retroactive check to the welfare office. GA may try to collect reimbursement directly from you, since the same contract was signed and remains in effect. Also, SSDI monthly payments are considered countable income by GA. If you are no longer income-eligible, you may be terminated from GA.

If You are Receiving Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) and SSI/SSDI

TANF recipients are not required to repay benefits in the same way that GA recipients are. However, once benefits begin, SSI recipients are removed from the TANF grant.

Overall income is generally increased in a TANF household when a member qualifies for SSI. The TANF household benefits are lowered slightly because the person getting SSI is removed from the TANF grant. However, the total of the two benefits (TANF + SSI) will generally be higher than what the household received before, even though the SSI is paid at a reduced rate (two-thirds).

SSDI benefits may have a significant impact on TANF benefits. How your TANF is affected depends on who in the household is receiving SSDI. If you are the head of the household and receive SSDI, your children may be eligible to receive SSDI dependent benefits. Children may also receive dependent benefits based on someone else’s work record. This will usually mean that your household income will substantially increase. This may make you and your family no longer eligible to receive TANF. It may also mean that you may lose Medicaid benefits for you and/or your children. It is important to remember that SSDI recipients will not get Medicare benefits until SSDI benefits have been received for 24 months. It is also important to know that Medicare coverage is different from Medicaid coverage. For more information on the differences between the two programs, go to www.LSNJLAW.org and click on the health care icon. It is also very important to speak with your caseworker to make sure that your children are enrolled in NJ FamilyCare for continued coverage and to determine if you would also be eligible. NJ FamilyCare provides free or low-cost health care coverage to certain children and low-income parents who would otherwise be uninsured. More information is available by calling 1-800-701-0710 or online. If you have other questions, or are concerned that you are going to lose your health care coverage, you can call the Health Care Access Project at Legal Services of New Jersey by contacting the number at the end of this article.

If you, or another family member, have become eligible for SSDI, it is important to contact the New Jersey Work First office for redetermination purposes.

If You are Receiving Welfare and Unemployment

If you recently lost a job, and have very low income and few resources, you may qualify for both unemployment and welfare benefits. If you are approved for unemployment, welfare will count the unemployment benefits as “unearned” income, and the benefit will count against your welfare benefits.

Both unemployment and welfare require you to look for work. Welfare can grant a deferral from the work requirement (as explained earlier) if you are unable to work, but the unemployment agency will deny your claim if you are unable to work. The exception to this is if you became disabled after becoming eligible for unemployment, or if you were disabled due to an illness or injury not caused by your job (see the unemployment section above).

For more information on any of these programs, please contact Legal Services of New Jersey's statewide, toll-free legal hotline, LSNJ-LAW™, at 1-888- LSNJ-LAW (1-888-576-5529), Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.

This article originally appeared in the December 2006 issue of Looking Out for Your Legal Rights®.

[Ghettogirl]

tcmgpt13,

Wow... what a post! Thank you so much for all your effort and time and for posting this thread. I understand it is not exact to my state laws, but it is a good starting point for someone who is inquiring to these agencies on qualifications for benefits.
So thorough, and tons of info. Good to read just to be informed, so well done.
LOL, I know I sound like I have a crush on you, LOL I admire well versed authors. I struggle with my posts at times and after I submit, I sometimes think how juvenile my posts sound.
Anyways, thanks for providing your post. I have found it very helpful.

Ghettogirl

[tcmgpt13]

Thanks ghettogirl for your kind words, but the best thing to hear is that it has helped one of our members directly which is the whole purpose for posting it. There was another member asking about disability issues yesterday and hopefully this information helps her too. Here's more I found today about disability issues. Unfortunately I had to copy the links to satisfy the copyright which are essentially a commercial for the person who wrote the article. Sorry about that, but at least the information may provide additional insight into disability claims:

Disability Insurance 01 – Unemployment Insurance – Government Program in Case of Disability
Posted by admin on May 16th, 2011

The main purpose of disability insurance is to to replace an individual’s income should they be unable to work as a result of either an accident or a sickness. In fact, People tend not to spend a lot of time thinking about the financial devastation that could result from a disabling injury or sickness therefore if disability strikes, the balance between personal earnings and expenses suddenly is upset, and the threat of financial disaster can quickly become a reality. In this article, we will discuss the government program that will help the short needed for disable workers.

Most employed people contribute to employment insurance through payroll deductions. Employers send the amount they withhold from the employee’s pay to government related department Employers are also required to contribute to the employment insurance fund and must add their portion of the premium to the employee contribution when submitting the monthly deductions.

Therefore, workers who contribute to this program entitle to received benefit in case of short term disability and sickness
a) Any workers have worked in insurable employment for at least 900 hours ( Depended on the rate of unemployment it may be changed) since the last claim, if that claim was made within the last year.

b) have a physician’s statement proving disability.
Benefit is payable for a maximum period of 15 weeks after 2 weeks of waiting period.
Remember the employment sickness or short term disability adopt a second payer principle if other disability benefit are payable

The benefits will be reduced dollar for dollar when the claimant receives:
1. employment income such as wages, commissions or bonuses
2. payments in compensation for an accident on the job or a work-related illness such as Workers’ Compensation benefits;
3. group insurance benefits for sickness or loss of wages;
4. compensation for loss of wages from certain accident insurance policies.
5. pension income or retirement income

The benefit will not be effected

1. Disability pension
2. Workers’ Compensation payments from a permanent settlement
3. A personal or individual sickness or disability wage-loss policy.
4. Retroactive raises in wages or salary.

I hope this information will help. If you need more information, please visit my home page at:

Life and Disabitity Insurance and Financial Planning Underwriter
Disability Insurance 01

All rights reserved. Any reproducing of this article must have all the links intact.

[tcmgpt13]

From past post revealing the law firm and lawyer who won an SSDI case using Morgellons as the diagnosis. Thanks pdidit, I noticed you reading this thread just now and so am adding this here for those who are searching as you are for some help. I wish it were easier to find help:

Originally Posted by Enviro Girl

Social Security Disability Income/SSDI

If you are/were disabled from Unexplained Dermopathy A.K.A. Morgellon’s Disease, there is a national law firm that recently won a landmark case in Ocala, Florida:

John Weil, Esquire of the firm Crowe & Parody, LLC working with Trisha Springstead, RN on behalf of one of her patients recently won a retroactive settlement that paid SSDI benefits for years past!

We’d like to thank Judge/Justice Lantz McClain for saying Morgellon’s 4 times in court – that is progress unacknowledged and mistreated victims have been awaiting, for years!!!

Cases may be pursued in each & every U.S. State, Crowe & Parody has set up a hotline:

Ask for Yelinda (yo linda) 1-877-261-1947 x 8927

No up-front fee, they take a % IF your case wins.

If you have copies of your medical records, photos of extractions, lesions, sores, documentation/costs of treatment protocols/things prescribed over the years, call Yelinda and see what they can do for you.

You must have been employed at the time of disability/good work history prior and debilitated/unable to work due to ‘Unexplained Dermopathy’ A.K.A. Morgellon’s Disease.
*Must have been off work due to Morgellon's for at least one year.*
**PLEASE when calling there, stay calm, she will ask you the questions. No chemtrail talk or nanobots, please. We want to keep this law firm and do not want to scare Yelinda away or get them in the middle of a governmental quagmire. We want justice for sufferers, the more justice we receive for you, the more validation for everyone.**

Thanks and Congrats to Trisha, who’s been a warrior for and caregiver to Morgies, for years! Thanks to Crowe & Parody for going to bat for us!!!

[tcmgpt13]

Hopefully some help for those with children who do not qualify for SSI or SSDI or Unemployment Insurance:

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

TANF is a block grant program to help move recipients into work and turn welfare into a program of temporary assistance. Under the welfare reform legislation of 1996, TANF replaced the old welfare programs known as the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program, the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training (JOBS) program, and the Emergency Assistance (EA) program. The law ended Federal entitlement to assistance and instead created TANF as a block grant that provides States, Territories, and Tribes Federal funds each year. These funds cover benefits and services targeted to needy families. More>>
Additional Funding Available

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the availability of up to an additional $5 billion in emergency funding for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. This new Emergency Fund, established by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, will help states serve more families seeking employment opportunities and other forms of assistance during the economic downturn.
Program Description

The Emergency Fund is intended to build upon and renew the principles of work and responsibility that underlie successful welfare reform initiatives. Like other provisions of the Recovery Act, the Emergency Fund provides resources to States, Territories, and Tribes to support work and families during this difficult economic period.
Also, see:

• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Funds Available to States to Improve Participation in Summer Food Service Programs
• HHS/USDA Joint Guidance on Summer Feeding Programs

Funding Methodology

The same financial and programmatic rules pertaining to the appropriate use of the jurisdiction’s Federal TANF block grant funds also apply when using the emergency funds. This also means that all TANF requirements, including work participation requirements and time limits, apply to families receiving assistance with emergency funds exactly as they do to families receiving other Federal TANF-funded assistance.
States, Territories, and Tribes will submit estimated caseloads and expenditures when applying for emergency funding. At the end of the fiscal year, they will be required to reconcile their submitted estimates with actual expenditure data, and we will review these figures to ensure the jurisdiction received the proper amount of funding. States, Territories, and Tribes are also required to report all expenditures of emergency funds after the end of each quarter, and these expenditure amounts will be reviewed at the end of each fiscal year. Further, reported expenditure data will be subject to review under the single state audit.
The Office of Family Assistance administers the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. TANF provides assistance and work opportunities to needy families by granting States the Federal funds and wide flexibility to develop and implement their own welfare programs.
Emergency TANF Fund Questions and Answers
Recovery Act Implementation Plans

• TANF - Emergency Fund (PDF - 90.1 KB)
• TANF - Supplemental Grants (PDF - 85.21 KB)

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

Dear Tcm.

I tried to find information on the court case cited byou, viz.

'John Weil, Esquire of the firm Crowe & Parody, LLC working with Trisha Springstead, RN on behalf of one of her patients recently won a retroactive settlement that paid SSDI benefits for years past!'

I would like the actual court details, date and reference number.

Among other things, I would like to read a transcript of the proceedings, and ascertain whether Judge McClain was speaking obiter in any of his favourable remarks, e.g. the disgraceful way in which people with this condition are being treated, and by actually mentioning the name of the disease more than once.

I am impressed at the strong team put in place to argue the merits of this case. I advise all who meet the current criteria definitely to contact the law firm concerned. If more cases are thereby won, the criteria may, (in time) be widened.

If a corpus of cases builds, this will grow exponentially, forcing the CDC and the ECDC to take action.

[dragonfly2]

This was my case that was won, Morgellons main illness cited.

[Reneecoffey]

Hello ,
My name is Renee Coffey, I am new to this board. I have been on morgellons support network for over a yr now. I was told to look at your post and contact you for information on my disability encounter. I am on regular disability now, for the last 5 months. Papers state morgellon's disease and my back issues. I did however start procedures with a lawyer for attempting to receive permanent social security benefits.
I was told by disability that my doctor has only been writing the code for my back, and not the code for morgellons or something close to it. My doctor just writes morgellons disease, chronic itch, etc.
Do you happen to know the code for this disease?
I would love to hear about your case and how to go about mine, If you can please help me. If you respond, I can give email address..
I will read more of your post.
And, write down what I have been taking and took etc. I have been taking coconut capsules in the morning and using neem oil in shampoo, body wash,cream rinse, etc. And, bathing with over 2 cups of apple cider vinegar and a whole tub of iodolized salt morning and night, and wholly molly it's been working getting these out for over 3 weeks now. Been on all sorts of antiparasite meds etc. Just like everyone else. But, this is the most that has been helping rid the little critters. Tell more on next post.