As disability scholar Ari Neeman recently noted in a New York Times article on how benefits are confusing by design, the sheer complexity of these different rules are, like most disability benefits rules, Kafkaesque. Intentionally or not, they further penalize people who have less access to accurate information, and less ability to strategically plan out their finances and legal arrangements. However, the narrower Panetta bill, which would affect fewer people, would also cost a lot less only increasing the SSDI funds debt by 0.01%. For millions of Americans with disabilities, tying the knot can mean losing federal benefits they rely on. However, the minute they are married, if their assets are over $3,000, they BOTH are no longer eligible for benefits. $3000 of assets is pitiful, especially considering that they could have a total of $4,000 in assets prior to marriage($2,000 each). Marrying a non-disabled person would cause Lori to lose her SSDI, Medicare and Medicaid, which she qualifies for specifically as a Disabled Adult Child, (DAC). Forced Marriage among Persons with Intellectual Disabilities Parents of children with developmental disabilities experience varying levels of stress, but new research suggests that some key factors influence how much their kids' needs affect their marriage. The way Congress scores changes like this, Bethany explains, mean that when people lose their benefits, it is a savings for the Federal government. She says that much broader marriage penalty changes that were included in the proposed SSI Restoration Act would by Congress estimation add $350 billion the the cost of SSI over ten years. But if they marry, then their spouse can be relied upon to help support them, financially and logistically. If this happened, it would be bad. Our life isnt ordinary. Also, a person who is disabled already faces lose of independence through what they are living with, making them not have financial independence due to being married is really hurtful. MAHONEY: Long has an autoimmune disorder that results in painful fractures in her spine. For many it is a religious choice to get married. Marriages among people with disabilities in 19th-century Sweden I am also a trainer. And by now, 17 years later, they are probably out of date. As a single person, only your income and assets are considered in your application for these programs. If the only benefit you receiveis SSDI, which provides Medicare coverage and a monthly check, marriage isnt financially impossible, but access to any of the financially-based programs(pretty much all other social welfare programs) may be more challenging. I work for a center for accessible living in Louisville, Kentucky. For a little while the calls stopped. MAHONEY: For Lori Long, this Valentine's Day is a painful reminder that her wedding has been on hold for five years. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. Her health care isn't just a few trips to the doctor every year but hospital stays upwards of 50 grand per visit. Disability, Caring and Marriage: The Experience of Younger - JSTOR Most social welfare programs, including SSI, are based on financial need. Finally, although marriage penalties do not make marriage illegal for disabled people, as marriage for same-sex couples once was, for disabled people in love it feels and functions like an official disapproval and practical impediment to marriage specifically and solely for them. And once again, having a disability is not someone's fault. If I were to get married, I would not want to be a financial burden on my husband because I lost my Social Security. MAHONEY: She and her fiance aren't giving up on saying, I do. If both members of the couple are disabled, there are also ramifications asset limits are for individuals or a couple. You can apply as an individual for supports on SSDI if you are unmarried, but if you are married your spouses assets are always considered. For most people, the benefits of marriage outweigh the costs. They have to make themselves poor in order to qualify for any help at all. When parents' only connection to each other is through or about the child, it can cause problems, Marshak said. If she had her own SSDI, there wouldnt be a marriage penalty. Today, I am truly lucky to have a job where I make enough money that I do not have to worry about SSI benefits. (PDF) Research on Marriage Problems and Countermeasures of Rural Hoping the political climate will allow change so we can have marriage equality. When a person is unmarried, legally their next-of-kin tends to be their parents or children, unless otherwise specified in a living will or similar document. Medicaid covers services not covered by other health insurance plans such as a personal care aid, certain durable medical equipment, medications, and transportation to medical appointments. How Will Marriage Affect My Disability Benefits? Any disabled people has the legal right to marry. Physical disability and problems in marriage. - APA PsycNet In a sense, the government hopes in part to save money by disabled people accidentally triggering these benefits reductions. I cant find any info besides that. The theory is that a couple can live on less income together than they would as individuals. And it would likely reduce SSI payments because fewer SSDI recipients would be forced onto SSI by loss of benefits through marriage. Copyright 2022 NPR. Not only could one person lose their benefits, but both people can be denied for having the same exact amount of assets as they had prior to marriage. The biological challenges arent the only thing. For SSDI its the disabled persons work record, or the work record of a parent or spouse. Theunemployment statistics for people with disabilitiesare staggering. For NPR News, I'm Erika Mahoney in Monterey. He has a spotty work history caused by events outside of his control, including the great recession in 2008 and a brain injury in 2012 that kept him unable to contemplate working for over a year. Lori Long would like to marry her partner Mark Contreras, but cant because she would lose her Social Security Disability benefits, as well as her Medicare and Medicaid coverage. Upon their wedding days, those licenses were signed by the correct representatives and they became legally connected, with guaranteed shared rights . 9) Starting a family you may need a miracle. I had someone tell me once, There are some things anyone can do for your husband, and there are some things only you can do. Some even had to divorce and suffer through an unwanted annulment in an effort to try to reinstate their much needed disability supports.. SSI is a needs-based federal program that helps people with disabilities (as well as people who are elderly) who have little or no income. Similarly, disabilities are more than the things we can observe physically. First, she lost private insurance on parents policy around age 18 due to lifetime limits, and it was before the Affordable Care Act made it illegal to drop people from health insurance for exceeding lifetime limits or for pre-existing conditions. LONG: Love is very powerful, and I think when two people are able to tap into that energy, then look out world because that kind of loving energy is close to unstoppable. Spread the love36Filing for disability put me in a depressive funk that left me exhausted, and the process of filing the paperwork literally took me weeks because I couldnt work on it for more than ten to fifteen minutes at a time before I was physically unable to continue. My husband is paralyzed from the chest down because of a spinal cord injury sustained when he was a teenager. PDF Physical Disability and Problems in Marriage - JSTOR Contreras works for a nonprofit, but his insurance wouldn't cover everything Long needs. If Daniel also receives SSI, then they will both remain eligible, but there is a "marriage penalty.". I am hopeful that the legislation will move, he says, once my colleagues in the committee and House leadership learn more about how this issue hurts their own constituents., Claudia at DREDF agrees, saying, I think it is useful to have bills that fix particular marriage penalties such as the Panetta bill and the SSI Restoration Act of 2021 as well as "omnibus" bills that fix all of the marriage penalties in one bill. This is an observation that applies to all sorts of bills before Congress.Sometimes the bigger omnibus bills don't move, says Claudia, and so then you don't get the opportunity to vet the language or get lawmakers on the record. I receive Social Security disability benefits due to my mental illness. Maybe it is shallowness or ignorance by people without disabilities. We Cannot Ignore the Connection Between Disability and Intimate Partner Filing for disability, in itself, was, Read More Maintaining mental health while filing for disabilityContinue. The key to SSI eligibility is income and savings. Its an election year, which is a good time for candidates to listen, and respond with positive, straightforward proposals to fix this problem, which affects thousands of disabled Americans. In some cases it can result in a lower monthly check. The sense of being a burden is a very real fear in the disabled community, and the rules of SSI reinforce it strongly. Since weve been married, twice he has worked part-time, and one of those times, we ended up losing so much benefits-wise, that we ended up in a financial hole. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. Just because my husband has a disability and cant do some things the way other husbands do them, doesnt mean he isnt 100 percent my partner in life. When Americans with disabilities get married they risk losing federal benefits. And both have fought and continued to fight to make people aware of these barriers and get them eliminated. And for many disabled people, the price is steep much too steep to simply shrug off for the sake of love. Love, marriage, and disability -- four ways to keep your relationship The amount of assets that a married couple is allowed to have and be eligible for SSI is $3,000. Its much easier to have people over to our home or like I said, meet in public. The Effect of Marriage on SSDI Benefits. It isnt actually Medicare, and often getting it puts the client at a disadvantage. I have an assertive, type-A personality. It takes more time to get two people up, clean, dressed and ready for the day than it does it takes to just get yourself ready. LinkedIn. Whos going to mow the lawn? she would ask. The following may become money problems in a marriage: Disagreements over financial decisions (i.e., investments, household spending, etc.) SSDI benefits, like I have, arent fully limited based on marriage, but SSI benefits are. Required fields are marked *, document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a83f7066ff83e2d71040221822d111d6" );document.getElementById("e3d886850b").setAttribute( "id", "comment" );Comment *, Maintaining mental health while filing for disability, Building a partnership with your doctor: Deciding if you are seeing the right doctor, Getting diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder, Medicare (dis)Advantage: Why Medicare Advantage plans dont live up to the name, Building a partnership with your doctor: good doctor-patient communication. In addition, even if a couple doesn't get legally married, they can be considered to be "holding out" if they are presenting themselves as a couple by SSI definition; for them, the same rules apply as for a married couple and they will have their benefits reduced. If healthcare were universal, this would be much less of a problem. Let's get started. I cannot afford to lose my insurance just because I lost my benefits for marrying someone. 5) Accessibility not always easy to get out/visit friends/family. Because they are married, she only remains eligible for SSI if they live separately and maintain separate households. While your doctor has medical expertise and training in how to recognize and treat medical conditions, you are the expert on your body and your needs. He takes care of the dog, all of the laundry and he mops our hardwood floors twice a week. Need satisfaction and marriage satisfaction were found to be highly correlated. It feels and functions like a violation of basic human rights, based on disability. SSI payments are much lower as well. It also makes a difference whether the person the disabled person wants to marry is also disabled and on SSI or SSDI. Well, Medicare Advantage Plans are really private insurance plans that replace original Medicare. How To Better Support And Love A Spouse With A Disability Most people who are or become disabled prior to marriage find that they cannot afford thecosts of getting married. People with disabilities should have the same rights as anyone else, and that should include marriage. So anything affecting SSI eligibility may have a ripple effect. This seemed fine and good. Today we generally view married couples as equal and independent people, who undertake a limited financial partnership, but also try to preserve a healthy degree of independence. Its all very sad and warped! As a person with a sometimes-invisible illness that straddles neurology and psychiatry(Functional Neurological Disorder), I've dealt with a lot of the stigma surrounding physical and mental illnesses and both visible and invisible illnesses. Who puts these policies together that dont make any sense?! I found out I wasnt alone! When I started to date my wife I had no idea I would marry her. Too many have to struggle with this choice because of "marriage penalties.". KELSEY. Hi Alison, I am in a similar situation with my fiance. And for those who are lucky enough to find someone they love, marriage offers enormous benefits that go far beyond financial or practical conveniences. Im usually get between 4-6 hours a day. They do not need to follow Medicares rules and while, Read More Medicare (dis)Advantage: Why Medicare Advantage plans dont live up to the nameContinue, Spread the loveThe question of attending school is an important one, as education is an important aspect of personal development. For disabled people, the barrier isn't strictly speaking legal, at least not in this straightforward a way. It is not my fault that I have my mental illness, and I have to struggle financially as it is because of not being able to work full time. All of the other marriage challenges Ive mentioned here are at play in this category as well financial challenges (we cant afford IVF on one income and if we did get pregnant how in the world would we afford daycare on one income? Because obviously, if you know about these penalties ahead of time, you can avoid them by simply not getting married.
