Question:
What happens to an individual’s disability benefits when they are convicted of a felony offense and sentenced to a time of incarceration?
Answer: Under Section 404.468 of 
the Code of Regulations, "No monthly benefits will be paid to any individual for any month any part of which the individual is confined in a jail, prison, or other penal institution or correctional facility for conviction of a felony." Thus, if an individual receiving disability benefits commits and is later convicted of a felony offense, any disability payments he/she was receiving at the time of his/her incarceration will stop until such a time as the individual is released.
Filed under Eligibility Issues, SSI issues by 
SSI recipients and other low income Americans may be eligible for free cell phone or landline service under a program called Lifeline Across America. Participants can expect to receive discounted or free service for a limited number of wireless minutes, but for those living alone or who want the security of a cell phone for emergencies, the Lifeline program can be very comforting.
More on SSI Recipients May Be Eligible for Free Cell Phones and Free Minutes
Filed under SSI issues by
Sometimes Social Security judges award benefits but require that benefit payments go to a "representative payee." The judge may do this if the claimant is a child, is legally incompetant, suffers from mental health or medical problems that would make it difficult for the claimant to manage money or in cases where the claimant requests a payee.
More on What are the Responsibilities of a Representative Payee
Filed under Monthly benefits, SSI issues by
NOTICE: I received so many comments and questions about the issues of child support and Social Security disability that I set up a separate blog about this topic – www.childsupportandsocialsecuritydisability.com. Please visit this new blog to post comments and ask questions.
Filed under Monthly benefits, SSI issues by
I regularly get questions from readers of my blog and web site about SSI, SSDI and the differences between the two. The biggest difference: you will be eligible for SSDI if you have worked and paid Social Security taxes into the system. Generally to be fully insured, you need to have worked and paid taxes for 5 out of the last 10 years.
More on How Does the Judge Decide if You are Approved for SSI or SSDI
Filed under Earnings requirements, Eligibility Issues, SSI issues by
I regularly get calls from potential clients who apply for Social Security disability, only to discover that they do not have enough credits to pursue a Title II SSDI claim. In such cases, the only other option would be to pursue a Title XVI SSI claim. However, SSI benefits are usually lower ($674 per month for an individual in 2009) and, more importantly, SSI payments are subject to offset if the claimant has a spouse who works.
More on Can Claimant With Sporadic Work History Collect on Working Spouse's Earnings Record?
Filed under Earnings requirements, Eligibility Issues, Multiple Sclerosis and disability, SSI issues by
This morning, I received an email question from a woman named Elena. I'm not sure if Elana is an attorney, a non-attorney rep or a relative of the claimant, but she raises an interesting issue about SSI offsets.
Filed under Appeal issues, SSI issues by
My nephew has SSI and is having problems with his medical bills being paid. Medicare said he has Medicade and Welfare said no, he has Medicare so no one is paying his medical bill and his bill are getting higher. Who is to pay? They said to get in touch with SSI. Why? –Betty
Filed under Medicare issues, SSI issues by
