Applying For Supplemental Security Income?

[MouseWedger]

So I'm confused and really stressed out, hoping someone has some answers for me that I can't answer for myself.

If you've read my journal you know this time of the year things get crazy rough for me, and if you havent - well, they do. From just before Christmas until about two weeks after Easter I'm pretty non-functional and I don't do well at all in the work place. My husband and I have been considering having me applying for Social Security here in NYS and I'm at a cross roads. I started to fill out the application but they need to know the date that my T took me out of work last year because I was so non-functional, and then I started to think and to worry that applying might affect our decision to adopt.

Does anyone have any experience with applying for SSI, and/or with SSI and adoption working (or not working) together? I'm so worried that this mess my brain creates will end up causing more problems for us and it just makes things spin around the drain that much faster.

Thanks,
Mouse

 

[cherryblossom]

Please explain your abbreviations so that everyone can understand your post. SSI? NYS?

 

[MouseWedger]

SSI is Supplemental Security Income. NYS is New York State here in the US.

*Usually* you can only get SSI if you're at the age of retirement, but you can also get it if you're considered disabled and the disability is expected to significantly impair daily function or if it will be long lasting/permanent. I'm not sure how it will affect our adoptions process if I go ahead and finish the application so I am hesitant. We've come so far I would hate to mess it up with something like a label of "disabled" and yet, the money would come in handy right about now.

 

[intothelight]

Hi MouseWedger,

Many people are on social security disability for a variety of reasons, so I doubt this would impact your ability to adopt in the future. Adoption agencies are going to be focused on the type of parent you will be and not so much the source of your income, baring something illegal.

If being on social security disability will help you financially and enable you to focus your time and attention on healing then that is probably the best thing you could do for any child in your future.

This is just an opinion and you might want to discuss this with someone familiar with the adoption process and laws where you live.

 

[MouseWedger]

Thanks. I think I may just go for it, I'm not positive yet. As far as adoption goes, Im beginning to wonder if my husband and I will ever agree on the important aspects of it so I'm starting to also feel like it doesn't even matter now.

 

[DharmaGirl]

I have a friend who is on Social Security Disability (SSD), and I believe she and her husband adopted their last child after the SSD started. I will email her. If you have worked in the US before, it would be SSD. I just got approved for PTSD after 4 months. I would also look on the SSD website and see if they have an email option so you could ask.

 

[MouseWedger]

Thanks Monster. I appreciate the help. I am thinking about just applying and being done with it, regardless of the outcome adoption wise. The only thing holding me back as of right now is that everything (house-keeping, income, paying bills, grocery shopping, pet care, etc) is on my shoulders right now and if I apply for disability I will have to report earnings every month from my waitressing job, and I'm afraid I wont be able to keep up with everything. As it is now it's incredibly hard :cry: