Social Security with-mental illness and addiction

comatheart

Active Member
My son applied (with my help) for SS back in Feb. Mainly due to the fact that he was physically disabled due to an OD in Jan. which led to nerve damage in his leg he won't lukely recover from. He has just been approved on the first try, and interestingly they approved him based on his mental illness. While I am thrilled he will be able to mostly financially support himself (if we can keep him out of the hospital!) it's bittersweet. 3 yrs ago I never would have hoped for my son to be on SS!! I still dreamt of college for him...a career... my how things change. :-(

I will be his payee, he will have no direct access to his money. I'm pretty worried about how that will go over in the long run. I see a lot of conflict coming. If anyone else here is in the same boat, I'm open to tips and ideas on how to do this!

He's currently in yet another treatment center. (#6) He's already relapsed since being there last week. He has too much physical and emotional pain. He's just not ready to be sober. I know he's not, but i am glad he's in a safe place.
 

toughlovin

Well-Known Member
Oh hugs... this process is so hard! Our sons sound so much alike in so many ways...I hope your son somehow realizes the drugs are not working for him! My son is continuing to do pretty well and still seems serious about recovery.
 

okie girl

Well-Known Member
My son applied (with my help) for SS back in Feb. Mainly due to the fact that he was physically disabled due to an OD in Jan. which led to nerve damage in his leg he won't lukely recover from. He has just been approved on the first try, and interestingly they approved him based on his mental illness. While I am thrilled he will be able to mostly financially support himself (if we can keep him out of the hospital!) it's bittersweet. 3 yrs ago I never would have hoped for my son to be on SS!! I still dreamt of college for him...a career... my how things change. :-(

I will be his payee, he will have no direct access to his money. I'm pretty worried about how that will go over in the long run. I see a lot of conflict coming. If anyone else here is in the same boat, I'm open to tips and ideas on how to do this!

He's currently in yet another treatment center. (#6) He's already relapsed since being there last week. He has too much physical and emotional pain. He's just not ready to be sober. I know he's not, but i am glad he's in a safe place.
I still haven't had any contact with my Difficult Child but would appreciate any tips you have for applying for SS. Maybe I could pass the info along to him if and when I do hear from him. Thx
 

in a daze

Well-Known Member
SSI is not a lot of money. The most you can get is a little over 700.00. Plus food stamps.

I opened a Social Security Payee Account with myself as the payee which he does not have access to. You will probably get a lump sum which must be spent in a certain amount of time. As they give you payments from the day you applied, which can be six months or more.

Hopefully he will be in some halfway house and you can pay the rent out of the proceeds. Figure out how much money he needs for food and cigarettes and give him a set amount each week (my kid has a separate savings account with a debit card). And of course, do not ever give him cash. If he needs clothes, etc., take him shopping.

Right now my kid isn't getting too much money as he is working. It's only a few hundred dollars a month so it pays for his bus card and sundry other expenses.

Very important to not give in to any demands for money! I think you already know this.
 

comatheart

Active Member
My son is actually getting SSDI. (Collecting off his deceased father's work history. He's considered a disabled adult-child) It's a lot more than SSI. They will paying back-pay to Feb. 2014. (12 months prior to the date of his application.) That is because they found him disabled as of May 2013, but 12 months prior to the application date is the furthest back they'd go.

I didnt realize there was a time limit on spending the back pay! ?!? I cant imagine what he'd spend that much money on!? A car maybe, but he cant drive yet ( ...maybe ever?) with his leg.

Thank you for the tips In a daze!

Okie girl, it is WAY complicated! My son could have never done it on his own. The best advise is maybe tell him to look into it?
 

in a daze

Well-Known Member
Youre welcome, Coma, SSDI and SSI have some different rules. Google back pay or retro pay SSDI.

Okie, it's easy to apply, but he'll need doctors names and addresses, dates of hospitalizations, list of diagnoses, list of medications, etc. I think I also wrote a summary of his medical and psychiatric history and that he had a learning disability. I applied online for him. Someone from SS called me and asked questions about how he functioned, and then were contacted by SS for an interview, but at the interview, were told he had been approved. I applied online.

I know one poster son applied himself and got it (Copabanana' s son).
 

1905

Well-Known Member
My aunt is the payee for her daughter, a 30 year old. She is brain damaged from taking too many drugs, my cousin is always in and out of hospitalizations. My aunt and uncle bring her groceries, she cannot have money or even gift cards to supermarkets-they sell wine and she would buy that. That's just the way it is- your son will get used to it- he won't have a choice. At least he will have a safe place to live, choose his apt near your house since you'll be the payee, you'll be making decisions. They go over her house every day, not that you'll do that, but they will never let her get a car, she uses it to go buy drugs and she crashes a lot! You may want to think about not getting a car for him, even when his leg is better. Especially since he still continues to do drugs. I'm happy he can be cared for at least. Also, he may change and straighten up his life, he's so young.
 
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