SSI Benefits Reduced or Suspended?

Action-Alert

The Arc’s national office and Justice in Aging (JiA) would like to speak with people about their experiences with the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) reasonable accommodations process for people with disabilities. If SSA tries to reduce or suspend a person’s Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, and the SSI recipient files an appeal within 10 days, then they can continue to receive their monthly payment while their appeal is pending.

We are investigating whether or not SSA is providing enough assistance to people with disabilities, especially those with mental health conditions, cognitive impairments, or intellectual disabilities. These people may need help with decision making and with filing appeals on time, so they can continue to get their SSI benefits while a decision on their appeal is pending.

For example, we are interested in hearing about whether people have had difficulty reading or understanding suspension/reduction notices, received any information from SSA about the right to seek a reasonable accommodation (including more time to file an appeal), or received information from SSA about how to seek help at the local office.

Specifically, we would like to speak with SSI recipients or former recipients who:

  • Received a notice from SSA that their SSI benefits were being reduced or suspended for reasons other than their disability (for example, being over the income or resource limits, a change in their living situation). Note: this does not include people who are applying for SSI and are denied, or SSI recipients who are undergoing a Continuing Disability Review or who only received a notice of overpayment without a notice of suspection;
  • Would have sought continued benefits while their appeal was pending but could not;
  • Had trouble processing and acting on information in the SSA notice because of a mental health condition, a cognitive impairment, or an intellectual disability; and
  • Do not have a representative payee or guardian.

To discuss further, please contact:

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