“When is a door no longer a door?  When it is ajar.”  The old children’s joke could be rewritten for Social Security Disability in this way “When is earned income no longer countable income?  When it is IRWE or Subsidy.” In my last blog, I said that people with disabilities, who work and receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), may not want to rely on the Automatic Wage Reporting system in situations where not all of the incom

Occasionally, I have seen this idea floated around.  Since the IRS already has all our income data, what if the Service just prepared our tax returns for us and then sent them to us for review and editing?  Apparently, some European governments do this, an approach called “ready return”.  Around this time of year, when W2s and 1099s of all stripes not to mention all the lesser-used forms are starting to trickle in, the idea seems much more attractive than the annual scavenger

Last night I dreamed that I was arguing, or maybe just “debating”, with two Social Security staff.  We were sitting in a small, grey, fluorescent-lit conference room that probably looks a lot like an actual room in one of the field offices, even though I have not been in one since before the pandemic.  I asked with frustration in my voice why it was taking 15 months to get a certain SSI application through when the applicant so clearly fit the “adult listing criteria” for a s

My sons are now 17 and a half and 14 and a half.  They spend a good amount of their recreational time online, so our electricity bill is...

Rubik’s Cubes, and their pyramidal, spherical, and other 3D-combination-puzzle spinoffs, were very popular in the early-1980s.  Once one...

My husband and I take an exercise walk outside early in the morning on most days.  In these sultry Midwest days of summer, the literal...

Periodically, this post pops up in my social media feeds: “The biggest joke on humankind is that computers have started asking humans to...

I was researching something else a couple of days ago when I came across POMS (Social Security Program Operations Manual) listing DI...

“Press one to hear our office hours and location.  Press two for…”. You know the drill.  You call your local Social Security office or...

When you have been waiting for months for a decision on your Social Security disability application, and you get a denial letter with...

An out-of-town sibling expressed concern because his adult brother with a disability has an IQ of 72 and holds a job in which he earns...

Work requirements have been raised in the past and are surfacing again in the context of Medicaid reform.  In my nearly two decades of...

People with disabilities, their families and friends, and those who work with them in professional capacities understand that the vast...

Recently, I watched Patrice: The Movie available on Hulu.  Happy/sad and honest, “Patrice” makes it clear why the term “special needs”...

Clients sometimes begin their outreach by expressing concern that their application for Social Security Disability benefits will be...

Most financial planners advise individuals and couples to create a Social Security filing strategy that maximizes benefits payable but...

I took myself and my sons to a new dentist recently.  I had to fill out the usual new-patient paperwork.  On the list of questions...

While the variety of Medicaid eligibility categories can cause confusion, they are welcome to the extent that they allow people with...

In this short series of posts, I am talking about Medicaid eligibility for people with disabilities.  Most states, including my home...

Dental and gum health, it turns out, are important to the health of the rest of our body.  So, we all need to brush our teeth.  Growing...