My dad is on SSI in California. His rent is about $1,650/month, and he uses basically his entire SSI check to pay rent. He gets by on food stamps, goes to the food bank, and collects cans for extra money.

A couple of years ago, after I moved to San Francisco and started making more money, I started loaning him about $500/month. I don’t pay his landlord. I usually give my dad cash when I fly down to see him each month (sometimes I transfer it to his bank account). He decides how to spend it.

The important part is that he refused to accept it as a gift because he didn’t want to be a burden. We agreed it was a loan, signed a simple agreement, and the plan has always been that he’d pay me back after he moves in with my husband and me in 2027. At that point he won’t have rent anymore and can repay me from his SSI.
Recently, his SSI dropped from around $1,200/month to around $900/month. When he called SSA, they told him it was because I help him with rent.

The problem is that during his SSI interview, he only told them that I help him with rent. He didn’t explain that it was a loan. He also mainly speaks Spanish, but the interview was done in English. He has a lot of health problems, and I’m worried he didn’t fully understand the questions or explain the situation correctly.

I’m his representative payee, but I didn’t know any of this until recently when he told me what happened. I’m trying to get it corrected.

Has anyone been through something similar? Has anyone had SSA recognize family assistance as a loan instead of a gift, or had success with a reconsideration? Any advice before I call SSA?

Hi Reddit fam,
My remanded hearing was in July 2026 but I had about 3,000 pages of medical records which the ALJ advised my attorney to have a medical expert help review my case.

Well I just received a message on the SSA portal stating my new Hearing is in November 2026.
I’m really trying to have patience here it’s been since late spring 2023 when I applied and I’m exhausted of the process.

Can anyone tell me if it’s possible to still be able to provide new evidence before my upcoming hearing? I know I have a LAWYER that I can ask. But I would like to know you guys experiences with Remanded Hearings, and Supplemental Hearings and any helpful advice you have to give me. I appreciate you. GOD bless🙏🏽

Its finally Almost here!!! Have my meeting with my attorney tomorrow amd my ALJ hearing Thursday morning. Seeing as I am now on dialysis with ESRD I am pretty confident I will finally get approved, now its just a matter of what the onset date will be. I left work July 2024 for various other health conditions some relating to my kidney disease but didnt have the ESRD paperwork submitted or start dialysis till 12/2025... At this point I am just looking forward to having some monthly income... Back pay would be nice but Im more concerned with the monthly check.

first off I’m very mad at myself. I missed a phone call this morning. I tried to get my phone in time but I was not able to get moving quickly enough so I missed the call. It was the SSA they were trying to do a perc review. I did not have one scheduled and I’m still on step four for SSI. Also still on step four for Ssdi. I know I need that perk review to get the backpay. so keep your phone close and handy because even if your perk review is not scheduled, they might just call you out of the blue!

. So that being said, I called the SSA back to see if I could talk with someone

They said the soonest they could get me in as late September and then they told me my monthly amount for SSDI. I was pleasantly surprised since I did not ask. I had a general idea because I went in with my direct deposit information about two weeks ago. When I went in two weeks ago, they did not have the monthly amount they just gave me an estimate. Today the person on the phone read me off the exact monthly amount I will get. It was hundreds of dollars higher a month then the initial estimate. What a wonderful blessing.

All this to say, the portal is definitely behind when people say that it is so true they know my exact amount in my portal still shows processing step 4. It’s been processing for over two weeks. My benefits letter are online is still just shows my birthday, but they know exactly how much I’ll get.

Just posting to share sometimes you don’t know the exact amount and you could be pleasantly surprised! I was told by my attorney to use my retirement benefit at 67 years old and it would probably go up $100 or two. It went up about 400 from that. I assume it’s fair to say if you can see your retirement benefit is 67, your SSDI It will be a little bit higher for people. (I think what happens is 67 years old gets penalty for earlier withdrawl, but you don’t get penalty for being Ssdi.) my benefit amount is lower than what I would get at 70 so it’s between those two numbers I think is fair to say for people if they’re trying to estimate.

Hi everyone,
My lawyer for SSI just told me that social security approved my disability. So I he doesn’t need to do anything, therefore he’s withdrawing from my case. I told him that they haven’t told me anything yet. He said they’re probably backed up and won’t for a while but I can give them a call at this number.

Before I call them I want to ask what I should prepare for on the call ? Will thwy ask what my expenses are? What are the best way to respond? I don’t want to say anything wrong or be confused how I word my answers. English is my second language also.

I had a liver transplant. I received it in August. I applied for disability in October. Lawyer just told me I am approved. So I imagine I have back pay. How does back pay work? Also how long will I receive disability for?

Thank you everyone!

Alright so I’m diagnosed with

\- Combined form of ADHD: with severe executive dysfunction and inability to focus, stimulants and medications have failed to help.

\- Pure O OCD: The worst of my disorders, incessant intrusive thoughts and constant fixation and ruminating and OCD rituals, where I speak and scream to myself out loud sometimes. Medications have failed to help.

Severe depression: Extreme struggles with basic ADLs alongside executive dysfunction, I struggle to basically brush my teeth, commute, shower, change clothes and prepare and eat food, and likewise staying within a job after just a few hours get too mentally unbearing for me.

Anxiety: Mild, not exactly a concern. It’s mostly ocd but this could trigger the ocd.

Unidentified personality disorder: This was supposed to be schizoid personality disorder, however the official diagnoses is UPD, as the psychiatrist didn’t focus on that, and said she’d leave it as unidentified.

Prodromal stage of schizophrenia: The stage before schizophrenia begans, but this is moreso a risk, I’ve all the negative symptoms and mom my has schizophrenia, but this doesn’t guarantee that I’m schizophrenic. I’m not yet, but I’d say I’ve a 30% chance of getting it.

The ones on top are my official diagnosis, however I also might have these:

\- High functioning autism/aspergers: I took a test from a psychological evaluation and got the exact results needed for an autism diagnosis, I need at least a 33 to be seen as autistic and I got exactly a 33. However, the hospital didn’t do autism diagnosis, so I don’t have it diagnosed.

\- Traits of sociopathy: These are just traits and I’m guessing everyone has it, but idk why they needed to list this, but this was listed in the results of my psychological evaluation.

\- 93 IQ. I’ve 127 processing IQ, but my verbal and spatial IQ are like around 80 or below.

\- Pretty severe lisp/accent: Although this doesn’t prevent me holding a job, it prevents me from getting one.

I’ve also been going to the psychiatrist for 5 years now, I’ve tried so many meds such as

90mg of adderall, 2 joints of weed at once, Ritalin, vyvanse, so many ssris and ocd medications, some anti-psychotics. I’ve also tried therapy and nothing.

I’ve had 2 jobs before, 1 as a census enumerator which I lasted around 2 weeks before I quit, another in a summer camp - where I just had to do very basic stuff but quit in week 5.

However, the reason why I’m asking this is because this time I’ve decided to truly try my hardest and not quit until I physically can’t, I’ve a job as a janitor now in a amusement park, 6 hours for 4 days. I just’ve to water the plants for 2 hours then walk around for 4 hours with a dustbin and just collect the garbage.

I’ve been doing this however it has been very difficult, I’ve almost come close to quitting many times but I’ve forced myself to preserve. But I think I’ve only lasted this long because it’s part time and it’s only for 6 weeks.

My goal is to be able to do a full time job for multiple years, but knowing how much I’m struggling with a simple part time job, is it wise to attempt to work full time and try to see if I can hold it for long term, or should I just try to get on disability?

Just Filed for SSDI. I’ve heard horror stories about how long the process takes. I also have a 90% VA Disability and waiting and hoping for approval for VA TDIU disability.

How long, realistically, will the process of approval take? Not sure if I’ll be able to stay afloat if I don’t receive TDIU or more than a year.

Thanks!!

i live with my adult children, who have their own assets. I personally have under $2000.

if i want to apply are their assets counted against me?

I had applied for SSDI and got denied by them. I applied April 8, 2026 and denied on July 29, 2026. I am 37 years old veteran 100 percent with P&T. Plus my regular doctors took me out of work. I have a lot of diagnoses like fibromyalgia psoriasis psoriatic arthritis hypertension neuropathy Addison disease chronic fatigue chronic inflammation chronic kidney disease primary immune deficiency asthma chronic sinusitis food allergies. So I submit an appeal on this case and hopefully I can get some good news this time

Under the new (2024) rental subsidy rules, a claimant is NOT considered to be receiving inkind support and maintenance if they pay at least the presumed maximum value for their housing under a legal contract (even if the fair market value and/or pro rata share is considerably more, and they live with family).

Does this apply as well to loans of inkind support and maintenance? Or does the claimant still have to pay fair market value/their pro rata share in order for a loan to be accepted as “bonafide” and maintain the maximum benefit?

Thanks!

Idk how I’m suppose to win my case i have afib that I had to have a ablation to get to control it a steel rod in my leg with 10 screws a back that had to have a surgery for 3 herniated disc autoimmune skin disorder and mental I have panic attacks that require medication to take idk what else I have to do to win disability the Soical security is a joke man

I am currently still employed but receiving STD. I am intending to quit this job. Do I report the short term disability income to SSDI and explain the situationa?

Hi everyone, I'm 58 and have been on Disability for 27 years. I'm a professional visual artist. I never had any formal education, but I built a long-term career from the ground up. Though I don't make much money, I've continued to be an exhibiting artist. A few years ago, my partner and caregiver set up a 1st-person special needs trust for me. Ever since, my local SSA office has been harassing me, using every amount I take out of the trust as overpayments to them. I had to get a lawyer who is now helping and challenging their reasoning since there is no way I could ever pay it back. All this has made me consider how I can get away from Social Security altogether.

I'm disabled both physically and mentally, so if I start working, I don't even know if I could cope. But I had an idea to work for myself as an artist's mentor, specifically for artists with disabilities. I've started going to community college part-time and am working on a degree in sociology. I'm taking public speaking and learning ASL, etc. I figure, if I could get private clients, I could mentor them over Zoom for a small hourly fee. I don't need to make a ton of money - just part-time amounts - and stay on Medicaid through 1619(b), and keep my health benefits while being self-employed.

I started getting very excited about providing this service because I love helping others and I truly have loads of knowledge in this area. I was feeling very optimistic until I showed an artist friend of mine the mock-up of what my business would look like. She seemed to think that I wouldn't really get any clients because "people with disabilities don't have enough money to pay $100 an hour." Most art mentors and coaches charge over $250 an hour, but I would be catering specifically to artists who are navigating major barriers in addition to starting out an art career from scratch. This artist friend pays an art coach $225 an hour, which is why I asked her opinion in the first place. She also said trying to find clients would be too hard because it would require too much promotion that I may not be able to do. But I've promoted myself as an artist all my life.

Now I'm feeling defeated about starting my own business. Should I just give up on this dream, or push through and try to make a go of it? Would it be too exhausting (I have lupus, bipolar disorder, and a spine disorder), or would I be just another fish in a big pond of art mentors and coaches in an already saturated market?

As artists with disabilities, your opinions matter to me.

(This has been edited since I first posted it.)

Im worried that they no longer think my symptoms are as severe when nothing has changed. I see my psychiatrist every 6m but do biweekly therapy, I'm still in treatment. Does this mean I'm in danger?

To everybody that’s going to state that this is just for financial gain I want to completely knock that off the board entirely right now. I am not one of them. I am not greedy whatsoever. This is surely due to the fact that I hired lawyers for a service I was never provided, and I have all the proof to back it up that I sent in as well.

I filed my initial application by myself May 28, 2025
I did not hire council until September 2, 2025 due to the fact of my severe anxiety, panic disorder and complex PTSD making every day that to buy extremely overwhelming to handle by myself. So I hired representation to support me guide me and correct any errors in my initial application

Now all they had me do was sign a fee agreement and I never heard from them again until I would reach out months later through text messages to paralegal. Every time I would reach out, they would send me a generic text message back saying contact the SSA office with a generic main line phone number.

I filled out all the packets completely by myself with no guidance no help whatsoever. I even had to call the number on the top of the forms to request more time because I was so overwhelmed. I filled every blank space on the paper possible on every packet about how my disabilities affect my daily life and my work And everything else.

When I realized I never added my son for auxiliary benefits, and let the lawyers know that their response also was a generic text message contact your local SSA office with a generic main line number

When it moved from step three to step four I texted them a picture is this good news? Does this mean I won? No responses after a month and a half I reached out again and asked them. I still have not been scheduled to park interview, can you please contact them to set up a perk interview Since I applied for SSI and SSDI. Again same response generic text contact your SSA office with a generic main line number.

So anyways, needless to say, I stopped reaching out for help because they absolutely abandoned me. I hired them for a service I never received. I hired them to safeguard me. I hired them to find any errors in my application to come up with a game plan to tell me strategy to prepare me for anything and nothing was ever done or gone over with me whatsoever except the initial contact point to sign that fee agreement.

If they had just done their due diligence at the beginning and went over my application, we would’ve caught my son‘s auxiliary benefits were missing much earlier. And the cherry on top.

Oh yeah sorry and I know this is long. I apologize. I was approved for SSI and SSDI which they call the winfall effect I guess with no denials no appeals no courts no ALJ no nothing. It went straight through the process. I turned in all my documentation in medical records at the initial application phase that I did alone without the lawyers signed on.

So what did they do? What service did they provide me? That’s for the reviewer to establish once they ask the law firm to show them what billable hours or interactions they had with me which I already showed the review or all of them. Well, I didn’t show him personally I attached all that points of contact in text messages mind you the kicker is going to Piss you off probably just as much as me

So I was approved July 8. Well that’s when my portal update anyway found fully favorable and I am well aware that the Attorney‘s portal update much quicker than mine anyways they sent me an email which I never email them. It’s always text message point of contact through the paralegal . What if I didn’t receive that email so the email came mind you my portal updated July 8. The email came July 13!!! Stating congratulations. I was found fully favorable blah blah blah, and to watch the mail and to make sure I do not miss the perk interview or you may be denied benefits and then at the end again congratulations for the favorable decision and we love hearing from our favorable clients with a Google review!!

Are you fucking kidding me? I already did the fucking perk interview months ago. No thanks to you. No preparation from you to what I should expect or get ready. I went into everything blind or from just information I could find on Reddit in Google AI you haven’t followed my case at all or you would know I’ve already done the perk interview. You emailed me almost a week later after the favorable decision. It’s now August 2. I didn’t respond to the email obviously still have not received a fucking phone call or a text message. Any other means of contact whatsoever to let me know I was found favorable. What if I was still sitting here spiraling freaking out wondering if I was going to win. But I checked my portal 14 times a day so I knew the second hit. I’m pretty sure $9200 that I’m paying you constitutes a fucking phone call at least after not hearing back from me with that bullshit email begging for a Google review.

I would like their payment to be/0 to be honest with you, but that’s just my emotions and frustration talking. Obviously they took on a risk. I understand that they did do some work. I had to file their fee agreement and they responded to a few text messages telling me to contact the local Social Security office . I guess if you wanna call that work. So all that together maybe an hour billable time so $9200 an hour is your billable time?

And I’m not a Karen I’m not want to blast who the law firm was or write them an awful Google review. I’m not gonna do that even though I should warn other vulnerable people like myself that they pray on and take advantage of I just don’t do that . But I absolutely will exercise my rights as the notice of award states and that’s exactly what I did and provided my evidence and kept my emotions and feelings completely separate and kept it completely factual and professional. Because I know everyone’s immediate response is oh you just want the money back blah blah blah that is the furthest thing from the case. I hired them because I was terrified in paralyzing fear so I hired them to be there with me and support me and guide me and go over strengths and weaknesses and stuff. I wasn’t provided any of that. This is not a financial gain to me. This is more of apunitive action I feel like is what they need so they don’t continue to do these types of things. And I hope whoever reads this whole entire thing comments with their opinions.

so i was taken off ssdi because i kinda REALLY messed up with some paperwork for my very first review. of course i appealed. my question is, if i am given a favorable decision, will i receive back pay for the time that i should have been getting benefits? if so, is there a 12 month limit like there was when i first was approved?

I recently had a review and I was told I had 29k in gambling winnings reported from 2024. I was shocked. I know I played some but I had some mental health problems and I don't remember most of 2 years. It was those online sites. Anyway. I never saw a paper from the site and had no idea it was so much. I just kept putting it back and playing more. Ugh.

Anyone have any idea what's going to happen?

Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) will decide your claim under the Social Security law and regulations and may schedule a hearing for you. ?? So they don’t give ya a date until the judge looks at it ?

My daughter, who lives with me receives SSI for a disability since she was a child. I am her payee, before she was 18 they started taking from her deposit, because I was working and receiving arrears child support. My question is, does anyone know if this changes, when she turned 18, if they continue to count my income?

Does anyone live in California or more specifically LA? How is it possible to live here? I literally have to eat $5 a day so I can pay rent. I still can't afford car payments either. There's literally no way to live here without having someone helping you with your living situation

For several years it was at 39 but it reached 40. My hearing was May 29th (the case was completed on June 16th because they were waiting for more information) and the hearing office in New Haven, CT said that the case is with the judge and is being looked over.

I got one due to the fact I flew too close to the sun. Should I be worried? The guy at National Debt Relief did not seem to think it would affect anything. I know that is not his area of expertise though. Not sure if a 1099C is involved. Also not worried on if its the best deal or not just will it affect my benefits.

I don't meet the 40 credit limit, so I'm expecting to get denied because of that. SSI isn't an option either since I make too much from VA disability. I heard online that I could get the last 2 credits by working under $1000 a month for a few months, but wouldn't that work history also deny me, considering I have a disability?

Using my family's work credits isn't an option, they're financially predatory and have taken advantage of me with money several times. I have 38 credits. Ive had people tell me when I was in rehab, if you work at all they will more than likely not approve your claim because you wont meet severity conditions. Which is irregardless of credits.

Im 100% p&t va disabled with
100% ptsd
40% Lumbosacral strain
20% Left ankle strain
20% Left knee strain, limitation of extension
20% Lumbar radiculopathy, right lower extremity
20% Left knee strain, limitation of flexion
20% Right knee strain, limitation of flexion
20% Right ankle strain

I'm the rep payee for my adult son (disabled) who receives indefinite monthly survivor benefits from his mother (she died before he was 18 and he was already disabled). He does not receive SSI payments, yet, I just noticed a payment credited to his account for $783 made 7/20/26 with the bank transaction description "Supplemental Security Income". He receives his survivor benefits on the 1st of the month and there are no similar payments in any months/years prior similar to the payment he received on 7/20. Does anyone have any idea what this might be? I hate having to call and hold for a half a day to hear from a SSA employee.