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  • ....for reals?

    If I've put this in the wrong spot, mods, feel free to move it.

    A few weeks ago, I posted the following on the main forum:

    Well...this is just...really??

    To give some background info: I applied, qualified, and was granted SSI somewhere back in 2005. As of about last month, though, I am no longer qualified for it. Why? Because one friend of mine owes me money ($800), and I have a mutual trust fund that my grandmother set up (and I have no idea how the hell much money I have in it. I never see this money and had no idea I could cash it when I turned 21). I answered the questions about these things truthfully, and was penalized for it.

    Now, today, I received another letter from the Social Security office. Apparently, I now owe *them* more than $11,000 because I supposedly had way too much money for someone to qualify for SSI the whole time. I am

    1) A college student.

    2) Unemployed.

    3) Having to pay a-thousand-and-thensome in cash to my school because of reason 1, something that I was only able to do because of the money I was receiving.

    I do not *have* $11,000. Hell, I barely have $1700 in the bank right now. I'm pissed, my parents are pissed both at the SSI people and at me (them for screwing me over and me for loaning money to a friend of mine when she needed it).

    I now have 60 days to appeal this freakin' thing, which I fully plan to do. I just cannot even think how the hell they expect me to pay that kinda money back to them when they have on their records that I have no steady source of income with which to pay them.

    And a few things have happened since then. For one thing, I finally got the information about that trust fund. The truth about it is that I have zero access at all to that money. It's in my Nana's name and, thus, she's the one who's in charge of it. I can't even touch that money unless she gives the word otherwise. What this means, as far as the SSI stuff goes, is that they technically can't have it on their records that this fund even exists. Me: 1; SSI Office: 0.

    Furthermore, I've been given a form stating that not only can appeal to have the claim that I supposedly owe them $11k removed, but I can be reconsidered for SSI again. I have since filled out and submitted both forms. I have no idea if they've received them or not, as I've not heard from them since. I don't know if I should call up their office and say 'Hey, I'm just calling to confirm that you did get this stuff and if there's anything further than I need to do' or not. Should I call? Will that make me seem too damn impatient?

  • #2
    I would call. But then again, I want to know that anything money related is sorted as quickly as possible. But if they say they don't have it, give them a few days before calling again. Then if they don't have it again, ask them if there's a way to get the paperwork to them more expeditiously.
    I has a blog!

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    • #3
      Take it from someone who knows (as the partner of an SSI recipient):

      Contact them often, like multiple times a week, to make sure they have your paperwork.

      If they become hard to reach by phone, go to your local SSI office in person and speak to a rep face to face to make sure. Bring copies of your paperwork.

      Also, just because they say everything is ok, doesn't automatically mean it is. KEEP checking. My partner got a reconsider in 2009, sent her paperwork in June, got a notice in October that they never received it (after being told all was well), sent the paperwork again *and* faxed it from her local SSI office via a rep. STILL got a notice in January 2010 saying they never got the paperwork, sent it again, got it faxed again, was finally allowed to see her actual records on the rep's computer that said things were ok. This all had to be settled by Feb 1, 2010....

      ....Feb 3 came around, she got her money. All was finally well in the world.

      The moral: You need to be PERSISTENT with SSI!

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      • #4
        Originally posted by EmiOfBrie View Post

        If they become hard to reach by phone, go to your local SSI office in person and speak to a rep face to face to make sure. Bring copies of your paperwork.
        Thanks so much for the advice, Emi. Yeah, I may end up having to go down to their office personally either tomorrow or Friday to see what the hell is up. Because I've heard absolutely nothing.

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        • #5
          Something I do with my paperwork in the military that might help...When you get there, see if they have a copy machine you can use. If so, put the person's name on the top of the sheet, along with date and time, and make a copy in front of them. Makes it VERY obvious you've got a good paper trail, and can say EXACTLY where your paperwork went if there is a problem. If they still lose it even once, have THEM put their names on it, and sign it, before making a copy. You'd be amazed at how much that's helped me

          If they don't have a copy machine, taking a picture of it with your cell phone works, too, but that's not as reliable
          Happiness is too rare in this world to actually lose it because someone wishes it upon you. -Flyndaran

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          • #6
            I finally called and was able to get through to the main office (kinda impressed that I was only on hold for less than 10 mins. Yesterday, it was an hour and I wasn't able to get ahold of anyone). Spoke with the lady who answered the phone, and found out that my case worker is out of her office this entire week. So I was put through to her voicemail, left a message of why I was calling (All I wanna know is if the stupid freakin' form went through. ). She won't be back in until Monday, so we'll see what happens.

            I hate waiting, though. e.e I've never been good at waiting.

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            • #7
              Get a lawyer. That's the best way to appeal. They work on contingency so they get a chunk of your back pay.

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              • #8
                About 20 years ago, Australia had some exceptionally high interest rates, like 18% on home loans. My grandfather put $1500 into a 'snowball' account at 15.5% for 5 years (basically more than doubling your money in that time) for each of his grandchildren.

                But the laws changed in the meantime, and suddenly all the grandkids under working age suddenly had to pay tax on $1800 without a tax-free threshold AND they couldn't touch the money in the account to do so. Even the working ones who were expecting a refund were shocked to find they had to pay.

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by firecat88 View Post
                  It's in my Nana's name and, thus, she's the one who's in charge of it.
                  Is it definitely in her name? Or is it in your name and she's the cosigner or whatever it's called. Because if it's the latter, you'll be stuck paying taxes.
                  Violence has resolved more conflicts than anything else. The contrary opinion that violence doesn't solve anything is merely wishful thinking at its worst. - Starship Troopers

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Greenday View Post
                    Is it definitely in her name? Or is it in your name and she's the cosigner or whatever it's called. Because if it's the latter, you'll be stuck paying taxes.
                    It's for sure in her name. She got in touch with her bank and they told her that this thing is definitely, absolutely, most-assuredly in her name.

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                    • #11
                      What is SSI?

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                      • #12
                        Suplemental Security Income

                        It's an aid program for the elderly to help meet their basic needs, for the most part.

                        ^-.-^
                        Faith is about what you do. It's about aspiring to be better and nobler and kinder than you are. It's about making sacrifices for the good of others. - Dresden

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Andara Bledin View Post
                          Suplemental Security Income

                          It's an aid program for the elderly to help meet their basic needs, for the most part.

                          ^-.-^
                          It's not just for the elderly. It's also for people who, like me, are disabled, unemployed, and all that good stuff.

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by firecat88 View Post
                            It's for sure in her name. She got in touch with her bank and they told her that this thing is definitely, absolutely, most-assuredly in her name.
                            Hate to say it, but her opinion doesn't matter. It's what the documentation says that matters.

                            She may think it's in her name, it may have set it up with the expectation that it was in her name, but all it takes is some financial institution drone to miss-key information when setting the account up, or the advisor misunderstanding the laws of the time to completely screw you over.

                            Sorry, I'm still bitter.

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by draco664 View Post
                              She may think it's in her name, it may have set it up with the expectation that it was in her name, but all it takes is some financial institution drone to miss-key information when setting the account up, or the advisor misunderstanding the laws of the time to completely screw you over.
                              That's exactly what can happen. When I worked at a bank, and keep in mind that this was in 1997, there were still people manually inputting things. I don't know if they still do that though. Anyway, this particular bank routed all of their data through their main office. 2 or 3 people spent 8 hours a day typing everything in. Even though they were very careful not to screw things up, the sheer rate of speed required to process everything....was pretty mind-boggling. All it would take, is a simple missed keystroke, and someone could be royally fucked Fully-automated systems aren't immune to mistakes either--they can post things to the wrong account, or not post them at all!

                              With that said, I carefully keep track of things. Account statements and checks are kept 7 years, along with any loan statements and other paperwork. I'd rather do that, than find myself in a mess if "shit happens."

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