Today, Cynthia filed for SSI payments after stopping work seven months ago due to
a disabling condition. Cynthia reported only receiving a $410 monthly disability check
from their former employer. Cynthia lives with their ineligible spouse, who is unemployed,
and their three young children, none of whom has any income. The family receives SNAP
benefits worth $150 each month.
The couple has no bank accounts and they own their own home. Their monthly mortgage
payment is $575.
The CS asks how Cynthia meets their expenses on an income of $410 per month plus SNAP
benefits. Cynthia replied, “I pay one bill now and another bill later, but have not
been able to keep the mortgage and utilities up-to-date." The CS asks Cynthia for
proof of past due bills to substantiate the unpaid bills or that the bills are paid
from time to time. However, Cynthia does not provide additional proof of their bills.
Finding the explanation unsatisfactory and with no proof of bills, the CS queries
the NDNH database. The query uncovered no additional sources of income. Failing to
uncover another source of income or support, the CS treats the income or support received
as unstated income.
The CS completes an SSA-795 (Statement of Claimant or Other Person) or Person Statement
page with Cynthia, containing their explanation of how expenses are met and listing
the household's usual monthly expenses, which total $1210. The CS determines that
the couple has monthly unstated income of $800 ($1210 expenses minus $410 stated income),
making Cynthia non-medically eligible for SSI. After determining, the portion of chargeable
unstated income allocated to Cynthia and her spouse each month, which is $400 ($800
divided by two), the CS prepares a Report of Contact comparing expenses with income
and explaining the determination of chargeable unstated income.
THE FOLLOWING EXAMPLE IS BASED ON THE 2024 FEDERAL BENEFIT RATE (FBR) DOLLAR AMOUNTS:
SSI FBR with Cynthia's monthly disability check from her employer:
Total monthly disability check from Cynthia's employer = $410. Cynthia's unstated
income = $400
1. $810
-20 (Not counted due to the $20 general exclusion)
=$790 (Countable income)
2. $943 (SSI Federal Benefit Rate)
-790 (Countable income)
=$153 (SSI Federal Benefit)
The CS then inputs the $410 disability check amount Cynthia receives monthly from
their former employer on the Sick Pay (Unearned) page. The CS also inputs $400 unstated
income on both, Cynthia and the spouse’s IOTH pages in CCE.
For non-SSI Claims System cases, the CS would input this as type “S” income, coding
it as “UNSTATED,” suppress the automated notice and issue a manual denial notice.