another vent- food stamps

[dreamer]

OK so our family income is less than $20 over the income cutoff for us to be eligible for foodstamps. difficult child turned 18 and has now gotten to continue on as our dependant - disabled before age 18- as a dependant under husband soc sec disability. SO- she continues to get the same as she got previous to turning 18. I already complained the VA did NOT agree and did NOT find her to be disabled---and denied sending us the paltry stipend they send for children....and also denied her ChampVA health coverage. ANd I am not sure, but- I know at least for NOW she cannot get Medicare- I am not sure how that will work, even after 2 years? Maybe she will get Medicare in 2 years. SO- we applied for Medicaide on her behalf........and at same office you can also apply for food stamps. SO- HER income is well within the guidelines to get foodstamps. BUT turns out up till age 22 they will count OUR income as well, and well.our income is $20 over the yearly guideline. SO- she CANNOT get foodstamps. ANd it remains to be seen what they will do with her application for Medicaide.
SO soc sec made me rep payee.......for those benefits......and VA has basically said too bad........even tho we do get a small stipend for our other 2 children and that is where our insurance coverage comes from..........and the food stamp thing just further confuses me.

 

[Alisonlg]

Sounds like a big confusing mess. I'm so sorry. :frown: :::Hugs:::

 

[wakeupcall]

I have nothing to contribute except to say that government agencies make it complicated on purpose. That way many will just walk away.....

 

[Stella Johnson]

Are you sure that disability is the way to go with your daughter? She seems awfully young to hang up the towel and declare her disabled.
Can she go through some work program or counseling to get work?
I would think it would help her develop and learn to cope better in the world if she had some training instead of having to depend on the government to hand her money every month.


It does sound like a big confusing mess though.

Steph

 

[dreamer]

Steph, The reality is she IS disabled. She was born disabled and continues to BE disabled.
AND she still needs to cover living expenses while she continues to work her program. She still needs shelter, and food to eat and medical care. Even as she works her program. And while she continues her education. Due to my husband massive 100% service/combat related disabilities, he does not have a job to carry her on his insurance, and the VA gives us a small stipend monthly for our dependant childrens care........and due to my illness and the medications I must take to suppress my immune system (that I must take or I am a quadriplegic basically) I can no longer work so I also cannot carry her on medical insurance etc....and kids in college typically ARE carried on parents insurance.
School shoved her out (I posted at CABF over the years about our battles with school and IEP compliance, and have posted more recently on Special Education forum here about my sons difficulties at school) so my daughter is still working her GED program, but school stopped her education basically at grade 7) - and her original class has not yet graduated yet, either, and her HS credits have her as unable to graduate for 2 more years. Typically people DO continue to provide the basics of living for their kids who have not yet graduated HS. And to get her health coverage to meet her medical needs, we had to apply for these programs.
Becuz of our situation, we cannot stretch enough to provide for her.

Yes, we continue to help her and guide her as she does work thru her program, just as parents of normal kids often need help while they go to college etc. But as she does work towards independance, and stability etc, she does need help.

 

[DammitJanet]

Dreamer, your dtr should get medicaid if she is found to be eligible for SSI or did they change her from SSI to SSDI when she turned 18? Even if they did, she should qualify for medicaid if her income is less than the medicaid income...I think...pretty sure...but its been a few years.

The food stamp thing is a different program and that states that anyone under 22 years old and living in the home of their parents has to use parental income in computing the food stamp benefit. This is basically because a ton of people were having kids and living with mom and dad who had really good jobs and could afford to support their kids but wanted to shove it off on the government. Not fair to the folks who really cant afford it but thats the system.

It also stopped this scenario:
Momma number 1 has 3 kids and gets $400 in food stamps. She has a dtr who becomes Momma number 2 at 18. Next kid becomes momma number 3 the year after at age 18.

In the old days, you would have Momma number one now getting approximately $250 in food stamps plus $236 in a welfare benefit. Then you would have Mommas number 2 and 3 getting the same thing. Which means you would have $750 in food stamps coming in instead of the original $400. Now of course you have to add in the two new babies but they would only add a new 100 bucks or so if that because you now have to count the new welfare money. In fact the stamps could go down because instead of having only $297 in welfare benefits that she originally got...now they get around 700.

Its a big mess.