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Transcripción

© 2012 Legal Services of New Jersey
Cuáles Son Sus Derechos Legales: La versión en español la encontrará al reverso
Looking Out
For Your Legal Rights
®
April 2012
Vol ume 31, Num ber 3
The SSD and SSI benefit
programs provide important benefits for people
with disabilities. It helps
to understand the differences in the programs so
that people who qualify
for them can get the help
that they need. Page 1
With the rise in foreclosures and joblessness,
more people are abandoning their pets and more
and more cats and dogs
are surrendered to shelters in New Jersey and in
the U.S. There are a number of programs that are
making spay/neuter services affordable and
accessible. Page 5
2011 Looking Out Index.
Page 9
Cuáles Son Sus
Derechos Legales
La versión en
español la encontrará
al reverso.
Published by Legal Services of New Jersey
Social Security Disability and
SSI Disability
What is the Difference Between the
Two Programs?
THE U.S. SOCIAL Security Administration has two
popular programs for people with disabilities. One is
Social Security Disability, also known as SSD. The other
is Supplemental Security Income, also known as SSI. This
article will explain some differences between the two
programs.
The two programs have
several things in common,
but there are important differences.
The two programs have several things in common. The disability standards are the same. You can
apply for both at the same place (your local Social Security office). Both involve payment of cash monthly
benefits for people with long-term disabilities. However, there are important differences.
Where the Money Comes From
The SSD program is financed from Social Security
taxes collected from workers, employers, and the
self-employed. The SSI program is financed from
general revenue and taxes.
Continued on page 2
New Jersey’s Community Legal Education Newsletter
SSD and SSI
continued from page 1
Work Requirements and Family Benefits
To get SSD benefits you must have
earned enough credits based on taxable
work to have “insured” status for Social Security purposes. For more information on
insured status, see the Social Security
w e b s i t e a t www.socialsecuri ty.gov/
OACT/ProgData/insured.html. Some family members of insured workers (children,
spouse, widow(er)s, adults disabled since
U.S. citizens are eligible to receive both SSD and
SSI benefits if they meet the program requirements. Some non-citizens may also qualify.
childhood) might also collect benefits
from a qualified worker’s record in certain situations. See www.socialsecurity.gov/
dibplan/dfamily.htm for more information
on these extra benefits.
For SSI benefits, there is no prior work
requirement. However, unlike SSD, the
family members of SSI beneficiaries do
not collect extra benefits.
Citizenship and Immigration
Status Requirements
U.S. citizens are eligible to receive
both SSD and SSI benefits if they meet the
program requirements. Some non-citizens may also qualify. For SSD benefits,
non-citizens must be lawfully present in
the U.S. and have “qualified alien” status
under the Immigration and Nationality
Act. Examples may include permanent
residents, asylum seekers, and political
refugees. Some foreign workers, non-resident aliens, veterans, and active duty
members of the U.S. Military may also
qualify.
For SSI benefits, non-citizens must also
have “qualified alien” status. However,
there are additional conditions that apply
Looking Out For Your Legal Rights®
About Looking Out
Looking Out For Your Legal Rights is published 10 times a
year by Legal Services of New Jersey. If you are a Legal
Services client, you can pick up a copy at your local Legal Services office. You may also read Looking Out on
our website at www.lsnj.org.
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Comments
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Out, we would like to hear from you. Please send all correspondence to:
Editor, Looking Out
Legal Services of New Jersey
P.O. Box 1357
Edison, NJ 08818-1357
[email protected]
This newsletter is for general information only. If you
have a legal problem, you should see a lawyer.
A portion of the cost of this publication was supported
by funds provided by the IOLTA Fund of the Bar of
New Jersey.
Looking Out For Your Legal Rights is a federally registered trademark of Legal Services of New Jersey.
2
Looking Out For Your Legal Rights / April 2012
depending on the situation. You may find
a list of those conditions at
www.socialsecurity.gov/ssi/spot lights/
spot-non-citizens.htm. Some non-citizens
may be limited to seven years of SSI benefits, although extensions may be possible.
Income and
Resource Requirements
There are no income or resource limits
for collecting SSD benefits. It will usually
not matter to Social Security how much
money you have in the bank or other resources. But if you are earning substantial
income through work activity, Social Security might question whether you are disabled under its rules for SSD benefit
purposes. Besides that, your SSD benefit
will usually not be reduced or eliminated
because you have other income or resources. One exception to that rule is if you
received workers compensation benefits.
The SSI program does have low income
and resource requirements. Other countable income may reduce or even eliminate
an SSI cash benefit. Also, if you have countable resources worth more than $2,000 for
an individual or $3,000 for a couple, you
would likely not qualify for SSI benefits.
Some of your resources (the house you live
in, some household items, car you drive,
and some others) may not be counted.
However, Social Security uses complex
rules to sometimes count other family
members’ incomes and resources to your
record. Also, if someone is assisting you
with food or shelter expenses, it might be
counted as income to you. These rules can
be confusing, and you may wish to get help
if they apply to your situation.
Medical Benefits
If you qualify for SSD benefits, you
qualify for Medicare health insurance coverage after receiving SSD benefits for two
years. The only current exceptions to the
two-year wait ing re quire ment for
Medicare are for some people with kidney
failure or Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS).
If you qualify for SSI benefits, in most
states (including New Jersey) you automatically qualify for a different kind of
health insurance, Medicaid. There is no
waiting period for Medicaid.
Amount of Monthly Cash Benefits
The SSD and SSI programs have different ways of determining the amounts of
monthly cash benefits. The SSD program
calculates monthly benefits based on the
worker’s past earnings. You can determine the amount by speaking with someone at your local Social Security office or
us ing its on line cal cu la tor at www.
ssa.gov/plan ners/benefitcalculators.htm.
Other people collecting on a worker’s record may be limited to a “family maximum” total benefit amount.
The SSI program uses a set federal benefit rate, which is supplemented by the
state to determine a maximum SSI rate.
SSI benefit levels can be different from
state to state. Also, the maximum SSI benefit may change based on different categories. These SSI amounts and categories
for New Jersey residents in the year 2012
If you qualify for SSD benefits, you qualify for
Medicare health insurance coverage after receiving SSD benefits for two years. If you qualify for
SSI, in most cases you qualify for Medicaid.
3
are listed at www.ssa.gov/pubs/11148.html.
For example, the maximum SSI rate for a
single person is $729.25 per month. The
maximum rate for a couple in which one
person is entitled to SSI is $851.00. The
maximum rate for a couple with both people entitled to SSI is $1073.36 per month.
These amounts may be reduced by other
income or depending on your living arrangements.
How Far Back Can I Go to Collect My
Disability Benefits?
If you became disabled several months
or years ago, how far back could you possibly collect benefits if you filed for them today? The answer is different for the SSD
and SSI programs. For SSD benefits, it is
possible to collect cash benefits going
back 12 months before the date you filed
your SSD benefit application. To do that,
you would have to prove you became disabled 17 months before the date you filed
your SSD application. This is because of a
rule that you do not collect SSD benefits
for the first five months of disability.
The rule is less generous in SSI cases.
Regardless of how long ago your disability
started, you may not collect SSI benefits
until the first month after you filed your
SSI application. For that reason, it is unwise to wait to file an SSI application after
Once you start
receiving SSD
and/or SSI disability benefits, you
may qualify for
some of SSA’s
work incentive
programs. Find
more information
about these programs at www.
socialsecurity.gov
/redbook.
4
becoming disabled. You are effectively
losing a month’s worth of SSI benefits
(and Medicaid coverage) every month
you wait.
Sometimes you may go farther back by
asking Social Security to reopen any prior
SSD and/or SSI claims that were denied
but not appealed. You may have to provide an explanation or “good cause” why
you did not appeal those prior claims. If
you are successful, SSA will use the date of
filing of the prior claim when considering
how far back to go in paying your benefits,
pro vided you proved your dis abil ity
started that far back.
Can I Collect Both SSD and SSI?
Yes, if you meet the requirements for
both programs. You would need to have a
sufficient work record to get SSD. Also,
your income and resources would need to
be low enough to collect SSI. Keep in
mind that other benefits and income may
reduce your SSI benefit amount. Even
your SSD benefits would count as income
that would lower your SSI. However, if
your SSD rate was low enough so that it
did not eliminate the SSI benefit, you
might still qual ify for a re duced SSI
amount.
Time Limits on Proving When the
Disability Started
Neither the SSD nor the SSI programs
have general limits on the time in which
you have to file your disability claim. However, the SSD program requires that you
prove that your disability started on or prior
to a special date called the date last insured.
Social Security calculates this date last insured in each case based on your prior
earnings history. It is important that you
understand what the date last insured is in
your SSD claim so you can gather proof
that your disability started on or before
that date. The Social Security caseworker
assigned to your claim should be able to
give you this information. The SSI program does not include any date last insured requirement.
SSA Work Incentive Programs
Once you start receiving SSD and/or
SSI disability benefits, you may qualify for
some of SSA’s work incentive programs.
Some of these programs apply to both
SSD and SSI benefits. However, others apply only to one program or the other.
Some examples of programs that are only
for SSD beneficiaries are the trial work period, extended period of eligibility, and
extended Medicare coverage. Other programs are just for SSI beneficiaries. These
programs are complicated, and you may
want to learn more about them from several free sources. The SSA Redbook describes these programs and is available at
www.socialsecurity.gov/redbook. The
NJWINS Project also provides free consultations and information on SSA work incentives to New Jersey residents
(www.njwins.org).
The SSD and SSI benefit programs
provide important benefits for people
with disabilities. Understanding the differences in the programs is important so
that people who qualify for them can get
r
the help that they need.
By Kevin Liebkemann, Assistant General Counsel and
Chief Section Counsel,
Legal Services of New Jersey SSI Project
Be a Responsible Pet Owner—It’s the Law!
As a public health service, many towns
AS A RESPONSIBLE pet owner, you should
of
fer
free rabies clinics. These free clinics
make sure you are complying with local
can save you money, so check with your lolaws about pet ownership. If you don't folcal health department to find out when
low these laws, your town may fine you or
and where you can have your dog or cat
take your pet away. New Jersey state and
vaccinated for free. Some pet stores also
local laws require dog licensing and rabies
offer reduced-price vaccinations, in addivaccinations. Some towns also have a lition to micro-chipping.
censing requirement for cats.
Towns with TNR (trap-neuLow-Cost Spay and Neuter
ter-return) ordinances often
Programs Can Help You
restrict who may feed stray
Care for Your Pet
cats; others prohibit the feedWith the rise in forecloing of stray cats en tirely.
sures and joblessness, more
More and more towns are
people are abandoning pets
adopting anti- chaining laws
and more and more cats and
for dogs and anti-roaming
dogs are sur ren dered to
laws that apply to dogs and
shelters in New Jersey and
free-roam ing cats. Check
across the nation. Last year,
with your local authorizes
over 32,000 cats and dogs
and make sure you underNew Jersey state and local
s t a n d w h a t y o u r t o w n laws require dog licensing and were killed in New Jersey
rabies vaccinations.
shelters.
Every
day,
requires.
5
thousands of abandoned and
If you are a New Jersey reslost pets suffer and die in New
ident who is not on public asJersey. You can help prevent
sistance but have adopted
pet overpopulation and the
your dog or cat from an eligisuffering that comes with it by
ble, licensed New Jersey animaking sure your pets are
mal shelter, pound, or rescue
spayed or neutered.
group, you may be eligible to
Spaying or neutering pets
have your pet fixed for $20.
(or feral cats) is the most imYou will have to check with
portant thing you can do for
participating vets and facilitheir health, along with makties to see if they still have
ing sure they are vaccinated
funds left for the year, and
for ra bies. Fixed pets are Crosley was rescued before he you may be required to show
even opened his eyes. He is
healthier, happier, and better now in a loving, forever home. a public assistance ID card or
behaved. There are a number
other documentation proof programs that are making spay/neuter
vided to you by an eligible shelter or resservices more affordable and accessible
cue to take advantage of these prices. The
than ever. Following is some information
New Jersey Department of Health and Seto help you find an affordable spay/neunior Services website has more informater service near you.
tion about the New Jersey low-cost spaying
and neutering program at www.nj.gov/
Pet Overpopulation Control Fund
health/cd/izdp/spayneut.shtml.The site
By checking off a box on the New Jeralso lists par tic i pat ing fa cil i ties and
sey Income Tax Options, you may contribvet er i nar i ans.
ute to “The Cat and Dog Spay/Neuter
Fund.” With this fund, the New Jersey DeOther Affordable Spaying and Neutering
partment of Health and Senior Services
Facilities for Pets
Animal Population Control Program conSpayNJ provides information about aftracts with veterinary hospitals to provide
fordable spay/neuter services on their
sterilization for cats and dogs for either
website (www.spaynj.org). You may also
$10 or $20. You may be eligible to have
call them at 1-877-SPAY-NJ1. Many people in
your pet fixed for $10 if you are a New Jercentral to northern New Jersey take advansey resident and receive any of the followtage of the affordable services offered by
ing public assistance benefits:
People for Animals in Hillside. You can
l Food Stamps
make an appointment with them by phone
l Medicaid
at 973-282-0890, or on line at
l General Public Assistance
www.pfaonline.org. People for Animals will
l Rental Assistance
soon be opening a clinic in Robbinsville,
l Aid to Families with Dependent
New Jersey, making their affordable serChildren
vices available to people in southern-central
l Lifeline Utility Credit
and southern New Jersey.
l Tenants Lifeline Assistance
Your local animal shelter may also have
l Supplemental Security Income
in for ma tion on or pro vide low-cost
l Pharmaceutical Assistance to the
spay/neuter services in your area. Friends of
Aged and Disabled.
Animals issues certificates for low-cost
6
spay/neuter that are also accepted by many
veterinarians. Please see the Friends of Animals website at http://friendsofanimals.org,
and enter your zip code to find a participating vet in your area.
Remember to check your local newspaper, pet stores, or the websites and
Facebook pages of animal rescues in your
area. Many rescues, often in combination
with a local shelter, will sponsor mobile
spay/neuter clinics a few times a year, including Spay Day, which takes place on
the last Tuesday in February. The Animal
Wel fare League Mo bile Spay/Neu ter
Clinic travels to the City of Camden to
spay and neuter animals for Camden residents, and rescues and shelters often invite this van in for special spay/neuter
events in other areas.
People for Animals operates the Neuter Scooter, which picks up animals at local shelters or pet stores in central and
northern New Jersey to take them to the
clinic for sterilization and returns them
when they have recovered from surgery.
Programs like the Neuter Scooter make it
convenient for people who find it difficult
to take off work to get their pets fixed by
offering transportation at convenient
hours and ster il iza tion at af ford able
prices. Check online to see if a town near
you has a Neuter Scooter or Neuter Commuter that could make it convenient and
affordable for you to get your pet fixed. Finally, rescues and clinics will sometimes
provide sterilization at greatly reduced
rates on spe cial oc ca sions such as
Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. Look
around: There are more affordable services now than ever before.
Affordable Spaying and Neutering
Clinics for Feral and Free-Roaming Cats
Many compassionate people in New
Jersey feed free-roaming and feral cats.
Only a small percentage of these cats have
been fixed, which is causing a crisis for
people and cats alike in all our towns and
cities. You can be part of the solution to reducing the feral cat overpopulation by fixing any stray cats that you may be feeding.
There may even be financial help available to fix free-roaming and feral cats in
certain areas, so it may cost you very little.
Some people just want these cats taken
away, so they bring them to shelters or call
animal control to trap feral cats and kittens. Unfortunately, feral cats are not
adoptable because they do not make good
pets. So when a feral cat or kitten is
brought into a shelter, it is killed after the
required seven-day hold. If you would like
more information about the care and protection of feral cats, please see Project
TNR of the Animal Protection League of
NJ, the NJ Resource for Feral Cat and
Trap-Neuter Return (TNR) information
http://www.aplnj.org/projectTNR.php ,
and Alley Cat Allies, www.alleycat.org.
Affordable feral cat-friendly services
are available at a number of clinics in New
Jersey and in Pennsylvania. For a list of feral-friendly practices, call 1-877-SPAY-NJ1
or visit the SpayNJ website at
www.spaynj.org. See also People for Animals (www.pfaonline.org). If you live near
Pennsylvania, you might also want to look
The Little Lion is cared for in a managed colony.
7
at the services offered by Forgotten Cats
in Willow Grove (www.forgottencats.org/
clinic.php).
Be Part of the Solution to
Pet Overpopulation
We all have a responsibility to care for
animals. You can help reduce the number
of cats and dogs that are killed in shelters
or that live difficult and often sad lives on
the street by spaying and neutering your
pet, or by adopting your next pet from a
shelter or a rescue. Shelters and rescues
have many loving and wonderful animals
waiting for a forever home. In fact, with
more owners surrendering their pets at
shelters in this difficult economy, it is becom ing more com mon to find even
pure-bred dogs and cats in shelters. And
while you are at the shelter looking for a
pet, don’t forget those senior pets that
have been left behind by a deceased owner
or surrendered because of a family illness.
These mellow animals often make the
most devoted pets when they get their second chance at love and happiness. It is a lot
cheaper to adopt from a shelter or rescue
than to purchase one from a pet store, and
the adoption fee that you give to a shelter
or rescue makes it possible for that group
to help more animals. You can also be
proud of the fact that you are saving lives
and that you are not contributing to unscrupulous puppy or kitten mills or backyard breeders. Finally, remember a motto
adopted by many rescues: “To the world you
are just one person, but to a rescued pet you are
r
the world.”
By Donna Hildreth, Director of Training and Professional Development, Legal Services of New Jersey
Articles in this issue are available on our website,
www.lsnjlaw.org.
Family Reunification Day Reception
Legal Services of New Jersey will once again celebrate Family
Reunification Day with a formal reception at the New Jersey
Law Center in New Brunswick on Tuesday, June 19, 2012, at
2:00 pm. Part of the nationwide American Bar Association Family Reunification Month celebration, the event is an opportunity
to acknowledge the success stories of the child welfare program
and the people who make those stories possible. A successful reunification depends on the collective efforts of resource parents, caseworkers, judges, attorneys, support service providers,
and parents themselves. Family Reunification Day highlights the
extraordinary achievements that parents have made to reunite
with their children, and honors the efforts of those involved in
the child welfare system who seek to return children to their
families. There is no charge for attendance but kindly R.S.V.P.
Kellie ([email protected]) by June 5, 2012.
8
Looking Out Index, 2011
A
Abuse or Neglect: Appealing a DYFS Finding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . November
B
Bullying: New Law Takes Effect in New Jersey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . October
C
Car Repairs, a Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . April
Comcast Reduced Rate Internet Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . September
Criminal Records, When Can an Employer Investigate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . July-August
Cross-Examining Your Witness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December
D
Direct Deposit of Federal Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . June
Disability Rights in the Workplace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . September
Division of Youth and Family Services: How to Appeal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . November
E
Education Law: New Anti-Bullying Law in New Jersey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . October
Employment: When Can Employers Check Your Criminal Record? . . . . . . . July-August
F
Federal Benefits Paid Electronically. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . June
Federal Tax Relief for Victims of Hurricane Irene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . October
Foster Children: New Law Allows Children to Stay in Current School . . . . . . . . March
G
Guide to Car Repairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . April
Choosing a repair shop
Repairman’s Lien
Shopping for car repairs
Tips to protect yourself
H
How to Appeal a DYFS Finding of Abuse or Neglect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . November
How to Get Your Landlord to Make Repairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . March
Hurricane Irene, Tax Relief for Damages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . October
I
Immigration Scams: NJ Division of Consumer Affairs Sues . . . . . . . . . . . . . October
Income Tax Issue: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . January-February
Do I have to pay taxes on welfare or food stamps?
How are veterans benefits treated?
What is the difference between a W-2 and a 1099?
Why did I get a 1099-C and does it affect my taxes?
Internet Essentials (Comcast Internet Service) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . September
IRS Tax Liens and Levies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December
L
Language Assistance for Hospital Patients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May
Logisticare: Transportation Services for People with Medicaid . . . . . . . . . . . . . May
9
M
Medicaid-Related Transportation Services (Logisticare) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May
Medicaid and Nursing Home Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . June
N
NJ DCA Sues “Immigration Services” Scammers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . October
NJ FamilyCare-Related Transportation Services (Logisticare) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May
New Law Allows Foster Children to Stay in Current School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . March
Nursing Homes and Medicaid Coverage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . June
P
Public Benefits and Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . January-February
R
Representing Yourself: How to Question Your Witness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . September
Representing Yourself: How to Cross-Examine a Witness . . . . . . . . . . . . . December
S
School Enrollment and Your Child’s Right to Attend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July-August
School Records (What is in them and who can see them) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May
T
Tax Liens and Levies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December
Tenants’ Rights: How to Get Your Landlord to Make Repairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . March
TRUE (Temporary Relief for Utility Assistance) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July-August
U
Utility Assistance (TRUE) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July-August
W
What Workers with Disabilities in New Jersey Need to Know . . . . . . . . . . . September
Witness: How to Question When You Represent Yourself . . . . . . September, December
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Looking Out For Your Legal Rights: flip over for English edition
Cuáles Son Sus
Derechos Legales
Abril 2012
La Administración Federal
del Seguro Social tiene dos
programas populares para
las personas con
discapacidades. Página 1
Cuáles Son Sus Derechos
Legales—2011 Îndice.
Página 6
Looking Out
For Your Legal Rights
Flip issue over for the
English edition of
Looking Out for Your
Legal Rights.
Publicado por Los Servicios Legales de Nueva Jersey
El Seguro Social por incapacidad, SSD y la
Seguridad de Ingreso Suplementario,
SSI por incapacidad
¿Cuál es la diferencia entre los dos programas?
LA ADMINISTRACIÓN Federal del Seguro Social tiene
dos programas populares para las personas con
discapacidades. Uno es el conocido como el Seguro Social por Incapacidad, o SSD. El otro es la Seguridad de
Ingreso Suplementario también conocido como SSI. Este
artículo explicará algunas de las diferencias que
existen entre los dos programas.
continúa en la página 2
El boletín de educación jurídica para los habitantes de Nueva Jersey
continúa de la página 1
Los dos programas tienen varias cosas
en común. Los estándares con respecto a
la discapacidad son los mismos. Puede
solicitar ambos en el mismo lugar (la
oficina local del Seguro Social). Ambos
hacen pagos mensuales en dinero
efectivo a las personas con discapacidades
a l a r g o p l a z o . S in e m b a r g o , h a y
diferencias importantes.
De dónde viene el dinero
El programa SSD es financiado por
medio de los impuestos que el Seguro
Social les co bra a los trabajadores,
Los ciudadanos estadounidenses tienen derecho a
recibir tanto el SSD como el SSI si reúnen los
requisitos del programa. Algunas personas que no son
ciudadanas también pueden tener derecho a estos.
e m p l e a d o r es
y
t r a b a ja d o r e s
independ ientes. El p rograma SSI
es financiado con los fondos provenientes
de la renta e impuestos generales.
Los requisitos respecto al empleo y las
prestaciones para la familia
Para recibir el SSD usted tiene que
haber obtenido suficientes créditos por
trabajo; lo cual el dará el estatus de
“asegurado” para propósitos del Seguro
Social. Para obtener más información
sobre el estatus de asegurado, vea el sitio
web del Seguro Social www.socialsecurity.
gov/OACT/ProgData/in sured.html. En
ciertas situaciones, algunos miembros de
la familia del asegurado (tales como los
hijos, el cónyuge, viuda, viudo, los adultos
discapacitados desde la niñez) es posible
que también puedan recibir prestaciones
b a s a d o s e n e l h i s t o r i al d e d i c h o
t r a b a j a d o r. P a r a o b t e n er m á s
información sobre estas prestaciones extras, visite www.socialsecurity.gov/dibplan/
dfamily.htm.
Para recibir el SSI, no hay un requisito
que exija que haya tenido un empleo
previo. Sin embargo, a diferencia del SSD,
Cuáles Son Sus Derechos Legales
Con respecto a Looking Out
Looking Out for Your Legal Rights® es publicada 10 veces al año
por los Servicios Legales de Nueva Jersey. Si usted es un
cliente de los Servicios Legales, puede obtener una copia en
la oficina de Servicios Legales de su localidad. También
puede l e e r L o o k i n g O u t e n n u e s t r o sitio W e b
www.lsnj.org/espanol.
Suscripciones
La suscripción cuesta $20 dólares por año.
Números atrasados
Puede ver números atrasados en www.lsnj.org/espanol.
Cambio de Dirección
Si se muda, envíenos su nueva dirección y una copia de la
etiqueta pegada al ultimo ejemplar de Looking Out.
Comentarios
Si tiene alguna sugerencia o comentario con respecto a Looking Out, nos gustaría oírlo. Envíe toda correspondencia a:
Editor, Looking Out
P.O Box 1357
Edison, NJ 08818-1357
[email protected]
Este boletín de noticias es sólo una información general. Si tiene un problema jurídico, usted debería ver a
un abogado.
Una parte del costo de esta publicación se cubrió con
la ayuda proporcionada por el fondo IOLTA del
colegio de abogados de Nueva Jersey.
2
Cuáles Son Sus Derechos Legales / Abril 2012
los familiares de los beneficiarios del SSI
no reciben asistencias extras.
El requisito respecto al estatus
migratorio o la ciudadanía
Los ciudadanos estadounidenses
tienen derecho a recibir tanto el SSD
como el SSI, si estos reúnen los requisitos
del programa. Algunas personas que no
son ciudadanas también pueden tener
derecho a estos. Para recibir el SSD, las
personas no ciudadanas tienen que estar
legalmente en los EEUU y de acuerdo a la
ley para la nacionalidad y la inmigración,
tener el estatus de “extranjero calificado”.
Ejemplos pueden incluir a residentes
permanentes, solicitantes de asilo y
refugiados políticos. Algunos trabajadores
extranjeros, extranjeros no residentes,
veteranos y miembros de las Fuerzas Armadas estadounidenses en servicio activo
también podrían llenar los requisitos.
Para recibir el SSI, las personas que no
son ciudadanas también tienen que tener
el estatus de “ extranjero calificado” . Sin
embargo, dependiendo de su situación,
hay condiciones adicionales que se
aplican. Puede encontrar una lista de esas
condiciones en www.socialsecurity.gov/ssi/
spotlights/spot-non-citizens.htm. A algunas
personas no-ciudadanas se les podrían
limitar las prestaciones del SSI a siete
años, aunque tal vez se puedan hacer
extensiones.
Los requisitos respecto a los bajos
ingresos y los recursos
Para recibir el SSD, no hay un límite en
l o s i n g re s o s n i e n lo s r e c u r s o s .
Generalmente al Seguro Social no le
importará cuánto dinero usted tiene en el
banco ni otros recursos. Pero si debido a
una actividad laboral está ganando
ingresos substanciales, el Seguro Social
Si llena los requisitos para recibir el SSD, después
de recibir el SSD durante dos años tendrá derecho
al seguro médico Medicare. En la mayoría de los
casos, si llena los requisitos para recibir el SSI,
puede recibir el Medicaid.
podría cuestionarse si bajo sus reglas para
los propósitos del SSD usted está
discapacitado. Aparte de eso,
generalmente no se le reducirá ni se le
eliminará el SSD porque usted tenga
otros ingresos o recursos. Una excepción
a esta regla seria si usted recibió pagos por
compensación laboral.
El programa SSI tiene requisitos
respecto a bajos ingresos y recursos. Otros
ingresos líquidos pueden reducir o hasta
eliminar un pago del SSI. También, si
tiene recursos líquidos con un valor
mayor a los $2.000 para un individuo o
$3.000 para una pareja, es probable que
no pueda recibir el SSI. Tal vez no se
cuenten algunos de sus recursos (la casa
donde usted vive, algunos artículos
domésticos, el carro que con duce y
algunos otros). Sin embargo, a veces el
Seguro Social usa reglas complejas para
añadir los ingresos y recursos de los otros
miembros de la familia a su historial.
También, si alguien le ayuda con los
gastos de alimento o vivienda, quizás esto
se cuente como parte de sus ingresos.
Estas reglas pueden ser confusas y si se
aplican a su situación, tal vez le convenga
solicitar ayuda.
3
Las prestaciones médicas
Si llena los requisitos para recibir el
SSD, después de recibir el SSD durante
dos años tendrá derecho al seguro
médico Medicare. La única excepción actual al requisito de los dos años de espera
para el Medicare aplica en el caso de
algunas personas con insuficiencia renal
o la enfermedad de Lou Gehrig (ALS).
Si tiene derecho al SSI, en la mayoría
de los estados (incluyendo Nueva Jersey)
usted lle na auto máticam ente los
requisitos para recibir un seguro médico
diferente, Medicaid. En el caso del
Medicaid, no hay un período de espera.
La cantidad de los pagos mensuales
en efectivo
Los programas SSD y SSI tienen
diferentes formas de determinar la
cantidad de los pagos mensuales en
efectivo que harán. El programa SSD
calcula los pagos mensuales que brindará
basándose en los últimos ingresos del
trabajador. Si habla con alguien en la
oficina local del Seguro Social o utiliza la
c a l c u l a d o ra d i s p o n i b l e en l a
Intenet,www.ssa.gov/planners/
benefitcalculators.htm, podrá determinar la
cantidad de dichos pagos. A las otras personas que estén recibiendo pagos bajo el
historial de un trabajador se les podría
limitar la cantidad “máxima que reciban
por familia”.
El programa SSI utiliza una tasa federal
fija de auxilios, la cual, es complementada
por el estado para determinar la tasa
máxima que el SSI brindará. Los niveles de
las prestaciones que el SSI brinda pueden
ser diferentes de un estado al otro.
También, el máximo de estas prestaciones
brindadas por el SSI puede cambiar
dependiendo de las diferentes categorías.
Las cantidades y categorías que el SSI
brinda a los habitantes de Nueva Jersey du4
rante el año 2012 se encuentran listadas en
www.ssa.gov/pubs/11148.html. Por
ejemplo, la cantidad máxima para una persona soltera es de $729,25 por mes. El
máximo para una pareja en la que una de
ellas tiene derecho al SSI es de $851,00. El
máximo para una pareja donde ambos
tienen derecho al SSI es de $1073,36 por
mes. Estas cantidades pueden disminuir a
causa de otros ingresos o dependiendo de
los arreglos que usted tenga respecto a la
vivienda.
¿Cuánto tiempo puedo retroceder para
cobrar las prestaciones por discapacidad?
Si hace varios meses o hace años que
quedó discapacitado y presenta la
solicitud hoy, ¿ por cuánto tiempo
r e t r o a c t iv o p o d r í a c o b ra r l a s
prestaciones? La respuesta en el caso del
SSD es diferente a la del SSI. En el caso del
SSD, es posible cobrar las prestaciones en
efectivo, a partir de 12 meses antes de la
fecha en que presentó su solicitud. Para
hacer eso, tendrá que demostrar que
quedó discapacitado 17 meses antes de la
fecha en que presentó su solicitud. Esto se
debe a una regla que dictamina que no se
podrán cobrar las prestaciones del SSD
durante los primeros cinco meses.
La regla es menos generosa en los
casos del SSI. Sin tener en cuenta cuánto
tiempo hace que comenzó su
discapacidad, usted no podrá cobrar las
prestaciones del SSI hasta pasado un mes
de haber presentado su solicitud para el
SSI. Por eso, después de que quede
discapacitado, no es una buena idea
esperar para presentar su solicitud para el
SSI. Usted estaría en realidad perdiendo
el valor de un mes en auxilios brindados
por el SSI (y el seguro Medicaid) por cada
mes que usted espere.
En algunos casos, usted puede
retroceder más aun con solo pedirle al
Seguro Social que vuelva a abrir cualquier
solicitud para el SSD y/o el SSI que haya
sido negada anteriormente y que usted no
apeló. Tendrá que proporcionar una
explicación o tener una “buena causa ”
d e l p o r q u é u s t ed n o a p e l ó e s a s
solicitudes anteriores. Si tiene éxito, la
administración del SSA cuando tenga que
determinar la fecha retroactiva desde
c u a n d o l e t en d r á q u e p a ga r l a s
prestaciones, utilizará la fecha de la
solicitud anterior, siempre y cuando haya
demostrado que su discapacidad había
comenzado en ese entonces.
¿Puedo cobrar ambos el SSD y el SSI?
Sí, si reúne los requisitos para
participar en ambos programas. Para
recibir el SSD necesita tener un historial
laboral que sea suficiente. También, para
recibir el SSI se exige que sus ingresos y
recursos sean lo suficientemente bajos.
Tenga presente que otros auxilio e
ingresos pueden reducir la cantidad que
reciba del SSI. Debido a que los pagos que
recibe del SSD se contarán como ingreso,
la cantidad del SSI bajaría. Sin embargo,
aun si la cantidad que recibe del SSD es
tan baja que no elimina los pagos hechos
por el SSI, es posible que continúe
recibiendo una cantidad reducida del SSI
El límite de tiempo que tiene para
demostrar cuándo comenzó su
discapacidad
Ni el programa SSD ni el SSI tienen
límites generales respecto al tiempo que
usted tiene para presentar su solicitud por
discapacidad. Sin embargo, el programa
SSD exige que demuestre que su
discapacidad comenzó antes de una fecha especial llamada la última fecha que estuvo
asegurado. El Seguro Social calcula esta
fecha en cada caso basado en el historial
de ganancias anteriores. Es importante
que comprenda que la última fecha que
estuvo asegurado aparece en su solicitud
para el SSD para que pueda reunir
pruebas que su discapacidad comenzó antes de dicha fecha. El funcionario del
Seguro Social asignado a su solicitud
debería darle esta información. El
programa SSI no incluye ningún requisito
respecto a la última fecha que estuvo
asegurado.
Los programas del SSA para
el estímulo laboral
Una vez que usted comience a recibir
el SSD y/o el SSI por incapacidad, tal vez
llene los requisitos para participar en
alguno de los programas del SSA para el
estímulo laboral. Algunos de estos
p r o g r am a s s o n p e r t i n en t e s a l a s
prestaciones brindadas tanto por SSD
como el SSI. Sin embargo, otros son
exclusivos a un programa o al otro.
Algunos ejemplos de los programas que
son sólo para beneficiarios del SSD son el
período de prueba en el trabajo, el
período prolongado de elegibilidad, y la
cobertura prolongada del Medicare. Otros
programas son sólo para los beneficiarios
del SSI. Debido a que estos programas son
complicados, tal vez le convenga saber
más acerca de ellos en varias fuentes
gratuitas de información. El SSA Redbook
d e s c r i b e es t o s p r o g r a m as y e s t á
Una vez que usted
comience a recibir
el SSD y/o el SSI por
incapacidad, tal vez
llene los requisitos
para participar en
alguno de los
programas del SSA
para el estímulo
laboral. Encontrará
más información
sobre estos
programas en www.
socialsecurity.gov/
redbook.
5
dispon ible
en
el
www.
socialsecurity.gov/redbook. El proyecto
NJWINS también proporciona a los
habitantes de Nueva Jersey consultas e
información gratuitas respecto a los
programas del SSA para el estímulo
laboral (www.njwins.org).
En conclusión, Los programas SSD y
SSI proporcionan importantes auxilios a
l a s p e r s o n a s c o n d i s c a p a ci d a d e s .
Comprender las diferencias que existen
entre estos programas sirve para que las
personas que llenan los requisitos para
participar en estos, puedan conseguir la
r
asistencia que necesitan.
Este artículo fue traducido del inglés por Al Moreno,
coordinador del servicio lingüístico en LSNJ
Este artículo está disponible en nuestro sitio Web,
www.lsnjlaw.org/espanol.
Cuáles Son Sus Derechos Legales—2011 Îndice
C
¿Cómo solicitor una orden temporal de restricción? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mayo
¿Cómo solicitor los subsidies de desempleo? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Septiembre
D
Derecho Educativo: Los expedients escolares . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Julio-Agosto
E
El derecho de todo paciente a recibir los servicios hospitalarios en su idioma . Septiembre
El número de identificatión individual del contribuyente . . . . . . . . . . Enero-Febrero
El Nuevo sitio Web del Seguro Social en español . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Noviembre
El tratamiento fiscal que se les da a los hijos después del divorcio . . . . . . . . . . Marzo
H
¿Ha sometido a su hijo(a) a la prueba para la detección de plomo? . . . . . . . . . . Junio
L
La oficina estatal de protección al consumidor demanda a estafadores . . . . . . Octubre
que ofrecen al público “servicios de inmigración”
Los gravámenes y embargos por deuda de impuestos federales . . . . . . . . . Diciembre
U
Una nueva ley permite que un menor que está en un hogar adoptive temporal. . . . Abril
Se quede en la escuela a la que asiste en la actualidad. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Julio-Agosto
Una nueva ley contra el acoso escolar entró en vigor en Nueva Jersey. . . . . . Noviembre
6

español - Legal Services of New Jersey

Transcripción

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