Dear Colleague,
Please see this fact sheet, prepared by The Arc of the U.S, which has very helpful information for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who have received Unemployment Insurance (UI) during the COVID pandemic. Some of the Unemployment Insurance policies passed by Congress resulted in unintended problems for certain individuals with IDD who received a high amount of UI -- often an additional $600 per week -- which resulted in the termination of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid benefits.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) recently disseminated Emergency Message 20014, "Effect of COVID-19-Related Financial Assistance on SSI Income and Resources", which provides guidance, including the following:
- With regard to SSI: Unemployment assistance is now not counted as either earned or unearned income for SSI. Unemployment assistance should be disregarded for purposes of the SSI asset (also called resource) limits of $2,000 for individuals.
- With regard to Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Disabled Adult Child (DAC) benefits, or other forms of Social Security benefits: All COVID-19 pandemic unemployment assistance will be disregarded and not counted as income.
Please read the full fact sheet, for additional helpful information on the new guidance from SSA.
If you know anyone who has lost SSI or Social Security benefits due to receiving Unemployment Income during the pandemic, please contact your local SSA office to request that these benefits be reinstated. Please use this Social Security Office Locator to access the phone number of your local SSA field office.
