Posts Tagged ‘Medicare’
Can Welfare demand an x amount back from foodstamps they give you if you are awarded Social Security benefits?
gabe asked:
I have been receiving foodstamps from my state for a few years now due to being disabled. But I have recently been approve to start receiving Social Security Disability, and Suplemental Security Income. Furthermore, it turns out that Social Security owes me back-pay dating back those few years while I was receiving foodstamps. I have recently applied to receive Qualified Medicare Beneficiary which is also carried by my state. Now, my Welfare caseworker wants me to hand over all of the docements that Social Security has sent me in connection to my benefits, and all information about my back pay benefits. Can my Welfare caseworker turn around and demand me to pay back Welfare for the foodstamps they gave me for those few years? My caseworker and I have a history of arguments about her attitude toward me, and the way she handles my case. So I need to know from you, if you think or know whether or not what she may be thinking about doing is legitament and legal.
Social Security Benefits
I have been receiving foodstamps from my state for a few years now due to being disabled. But I have recently been approve to start receiving Social Security Disability, and Suplemental Security Income. Furthermore, it turns out that Social Security owes me back-pay dating back those few years while I was receiving foodstamps. I have recently applied to receive Qualified Medicare Beneficiary which is also carried by my state. Now, my Welfare caseworker wants me to hand over all of the docements that Social Security has sent me in connection to my benefits, and all information about my back pay benefits. Can my Welfare caseworker turn around and demand me to pay back Welfare for the foodstamps they gave me for those few years? My caseworker and I have a history of arguments about her attitude toward me, and the way she handles my case. So I need to know from you, if you think or know whether or not what she may be thinking about doing is legitament and legal.
Social Security Benefits
The Full Scope of Social Security Benefits
Sammy Beanard asked:
You work during your work life. You contribute. Your employer contributes. You retire. You draw the benefits. That is a key part of Social Security, but it is only a part. The rest of the protections in their own way are every bit as valuable and as necessary as retirement benefits.
For example, there is a disability benefit. If a young worker is on their way to work today and is disabled in an accident on a freeway and cannot work again, that worker under the social contract we have under Social Security has the ability not to become a pauper, not to have their family and children become paupers, but to be able to sustain themselves because they are part of this National, social contract in the insurance system where we have anticipated that that will happen to some number of people.
And we do not want those people’s lives to be destroyed when a disabling accident happens, whether they are on their way to work, at work, or what have you.
In addition to that, we have, if we think of an even worse case, an instance where someone is a younger worker loses their life. We have a survivor’s benefit so that again, you have a situation where the family is able to derive some support and some financial strength, but it comes off this National insurance contract that we have one with the other.
We hope this will not happen to us, but if it does or to the person next door or across town, then, we are tied into this arrangement where we provide this kind of insurance one to the other.
And it is a very important benefit. In every single day, there are younger workers in our society, workers up and down the scale to which these events happen, and families.
And the Social Security system kicks in. It is there when they need it. And thank God for it.
Finally, there is also health care protection in the Medicare Part A portion of Medicare. And so it is not just a matter of a retirement benefit per se in the sense of an income that comes in at retirement age, but it also is the very important and very valuable, very financially important support that comes through Part A of Medicare.
Any serious discussion of Social Security cannot be squeezed down to an artificially small definition of what it is, as important as that may be, namely, retirement benefits, but we have to understand this broader scope of the protections because that is really what ties the generations together.
This is really a cross-generational program. This is not just a matter of the younger workers providing a flow of income into the fund for retired workers, whether in their family or outside.
It is actually a cross-generational set of insurance protections so that younger workers have available to them at exactly the time they need it the most of a form of social insurance that they would not have any other way.
Scott
You work during your work life. You contribute. Your employer contributes. You retire. You draw the benefits. That is a key part of Social Security, but it is only a part. The rest of the protections in their own way are every bit as valuable and as necessary as retirement benefits.
For example, there is a disability benefit. If a young worker is on their way to work today and is disabled in an accident on a freeway and cannot work again, that worker under the social contract we have under Social Security has the ability not to become a pauper, not to have their family and children become paupers, but to be able to sustain themselves because they are part of this National, social contract in the insurance system where we have anticipated that that will happen to some number of people.
And we do not want those people’s lives to be destroyed when a disabling accident happens, whether they are on their way to work, at work, or what have you.
In addition to that, we have, if we think of an even worse case, an instance where someone is a younger worker loses their life. We have a survivor’s benefit so that again, you have a situation where the family is able to derive some support and some financial strength, but it comes off this National insurance contract that we have one with the other.
We hope this will not happen to us, but if it does or to the person next door or across town, then, we are tied into this arrangement where we provide this kind of insurance one to the other.
And it is a very important benefit. In every single day, there are younger workers in our society, workers up and down the scale to which these events happen, and families.
And the Social Security system kicks in. It is there when they need it. And thank God for it.
Finally, there is also health care protection in the Medicare Part A portion of Medicare. And so it is not just a matter of a retirement benefit per se in the sense of an income that comes in at retirement age, but it also is the very important and very valuable, very financially important support that comes through Part A of Medicare.
Any serious discussion of Social Security cannot be squeezed down to an artificially small definition of what it is, as important as that may be, namely, retirement benefits, but we have to understand this broader scope of the protections because that is really what ties the generations together.
This is really a cross-generational program. This is not just a matter of the younger workers providing a flow of income into the fund for retired workers, whether in their family or outside.
It is actually a cross-generational set of insurance protections so that younger workers have available to them at exactly the time they need it the most of a form of social insurance that they would not have any other way.
Scott
Are You Accessing All of the Social Security Retirement Benefits Available to You?
Lisa Bayer asked:
Most people think that Social Security is only available to retirees when they completely stop working at full retirement age. In 2008 the full retirement age for an individual born before 1938 is 65. However, it is also possible for a person born after 1938 to apply for early retirement benefits as early as age 62. In this case your retirement benefit amount will be permanently reduced by a percentage depending upon what month and age you apply for early retirement benefits. Of course, the longer you wait to apply for early retirement, the closer your benefit will be to the full retirement amount. This doesn’t mean that this is the only decision for many people. Depending upon your age, it has been estimated that it takes 14 years to “catch up” on the missed benefits if an individual applies for early retirement. If you do not already have one, you should request a recent “earnings record” from the Social Security Administration. This details your work history and lists your benefit amounts at each age so that you can make an educated decision for you and your family.
On the other hand, an individual can delay applying for benefits until after age 65 (for those born before 1938) and possibly increase your retirement benefit amount. In this case, it is important to carefully keep track of and report your earnings to Social Security so that the benefit amount accurately reflects the additional work history. And, if you do decide to delay applying for Social Security, it is still important to apply for Medicare at the appropriate time so as not to lose out on important health insurance benefits.
An important note should be made here. Many people associate retirement Social Security with Medicare and in fact both programs are administered by the Social Security Administration. However, a non-disabled retired individual is not eligible for Medicare until he or she reaches age 65. It is important to consider this when evaluating whether or not to apply for early retirement benefits as you would need to make sure that, in addition to sufficient income, you will also have access to adequate health insurance (and the ability to pay for it) once you stop working.
In conclusion, to determine whether an individual should apply for early, full or delayed retirement benefits is best decided by carefully reading a recent earnings record and taking into account other individuals who may be entitled or seek to be entitled on this person’s Social Security account. Contact the Social Security administration with any questions or for help in making these decisions.
Melinda
Most people think that Social Security is only available to retirees when they completely stop working at full retirement age. In 2008 the full retirement age for an individual born before 1938 is 65. However, it is also possible for a person born after 1938 to apply for early retirement benefits as early as age 62. In this case your retirement benefit amount will be permanently reduced by a percentage depending upon what month and age you apply for early retirement benefits. Of course, the longer you wait to apply for early retirement, the closer your benefit will be to the full retirement amount. This doesn’t mean that this is the only decision for many people. Depending upon your age, it has been estimated that it takes 14 years to “catch up” on the missed benefits if an individual applies for early retirement. If you do not already have one, you should request a recent “earnings record” from the Social Security Administration. This details your work history and lists your benefit amounts at each age so that you can make an educated decision for you and your family.
On the other hand, an individual can delay applying for benefits until after age 65 (for those born before 1938) and possibly increase your retirement benefit amount. In this case, it is important to carefully keep track of and report your earnings to Social Security so that the benefit amount accurately reflects the additional work history. And, if you do decide to delay applying for Social Security, it is still important to apply for Medicare at the appropriate time so as not to lose out on important health insurance benefits.
An important note should be made here. Many people associate retirement Social Security with Medicare and in fact both programs are administered by the Social Security Administration. However, a non-disabled retired individual is not eligible for Medicare until he or she reaches age 65. It is important to consider this when evaluating whether or not to apply for early retirement benefits as you would need to make sure that, in addition to sufficient income, you will also have access to adequate health insurance (and the ability to pay for it) once you stop working.
In conclusion, to determine whether an individual should apply for early, full or delayed retirement benefits is best decided by carefully reading a recent earnings record and taking into account other individuals who may be entitled or seek to be entitled on this person’s Social Security account. Contact the Social Security administration with any questions or for help in making these decisions.
Melinda
