SSI Advocacy Program
The SSI Advocacy program was established in 1985 by the Board of Supervisors in order to assist disabled General Assistance recipients with their applications for SSI benefits. Advocacy services are provided to those General Assistance recipients who are unable to attend to the complexities of the SSI eligibility process on their own. The county is reimbursed for General Assistance funds that are paid to the recipients after the date of the SSI application. The dedicated and committed Social Workers have the expertise necessary to assist disabled clients move productively through the SSI system. They also depend on the help and cooperation of other community agencies and resources to provide clients with support systems and to meet various basic needs during this process.
The Program utilizes Social Worker intervention and assistance in order to:
- Assist clients in following through with the SSI application process.
- Secure additional and more precise medical/psychiatric information, and
- Provide representation at the various appeal levels in the SSI process.
An SSI application denied at any level of the four-step appeal process may be pursued by the SSI Advocacy Social Worker.
Bus Tokens
The SSI Advocacy Unit may provide bus tokens to assist the GA client in completing the SSI application process (e.g. transportation to Social Security and/or medical appointments).
Failure to File an SSI Appeal
GA will be discontinued if the client (or the SSI Advocacy Unit on behalf of the client) fails to file either:
- A timely appeal with the Social Security Administration, or
- A timely waiver (based on good cause) of the time limit.
The client will remain ineligible until cooperation is achieved with all aspects of the SSI application process, including medical examinations.
Note: GA may not be discontinued for the above reason unless it can be proven that the client was aware of the responsibility to file an appeal. The client's signature on the “Important Information for Applicants and Recipients of General Assistance” (GA 14) is sufficient evidence that the recipient understood his/her responsibilities.
The only time the SSI Advocacy Social Worker would not file an appeal is when he/she:
- Receives notification of a denial too late to file an appeal within the time limit, or
- Determines the appeal to be inappropriate.
Related Topics
"Automated" Interim Assistance Reimbursement (IAR) County
Social Security Administration's SSI eIAR Web Application