State Assistance Programs for SSI Recipients, January 2002

Connecticut

State Supplementation

Mandatory Minimum Supplementation

No recipients.

Optional State Supplementation

Administration: Connecticut Department of Social Services.

Effective date: January 1, 1974.

Statutory basis for payment: Connecticut General Statutes, section 17b-600.

Funding

Administration: State funds.

Assistance: State funds.

Passalong method: Maintaining payment levels.

Place of application: Regional offices of state agency.

Scope of coverage: Optional state supplement provided to aged, blind, and disabled SSI or Title II recipients living alone or with others. No provision is made for essential persons. Only blind children are eligible for supplementation. Blind and disabled recipients are reclassified as aged upon reaching age 65.

Resource limitations: No limit on real property occupied as a home. Equity in real property other than a home must be liquidated. Value of personal property (excluding household and personal effects, car if needed, and tools and equipment or livestock essential to production of income) is limited to $1,600 for an individual and $2,400 for a couple. In addition, up to $1,200 for burial contract is reduced by the value of irrevocable burial arrangements and the face value of life insurance policies of $1,500 or less.

Income exclusions

Unearned income: For recipients residing in the community, state disregards $183.00 of any unearned income including SSI; for recipients residing in boarding homes, $90.70 is disregarded. The disregard is $250.90 for recipients residing with unrelated persons in the community.

Earned income: The first $65 and one-half of the remainder for aged and disabled; the first $85 and one-half of the remainder for the blind. Work-related expenses for the blind including personal expenses such as Social Security tax, life and health insurance, lunch, and transportation. Additional deductions are allowed for the blind and disabled related to plans for self-support. Those who are disabled are also allowed deductions for impairment-related work expenses.

Recoveries, liens, and assignments: Liens secure claims against real property. State has a preferred mandatory claim against an estate to the extent that it is not needed for the support of the surviving spouse, parent, or dependent children of the decedent. Liens may be released upon payment of claim or amount equal to beneficiary's interest. If applicant or recipient owns other nonhome property, he or she must be making a bona fide effort to sell it. During that time, he or she gives the state a security mortgage.

Responsibility of relatives: Spouse for spouse.

Interim assistance: State participates.

Payment levels: See Table 1.

Table 1. Optional state supplementation payment levels (in dollars)
Living arrangement	Combined federal and state		State supplementation
Living arrangement	Individual	Couple	Individual	Couple
Independent community living ^a	747.00	1,094.00	202.00	277.00
Licensed room and board facility	545.00	817.00	b	b
Medicaid facility ^c	54.00	108.00	24.00	48.00
a. The budget process is used to establish payment amounts. This supplement consists of a housing allowance (maximum of $400 for living alone; $200 for living with others), basic needs items, minus countable income (see "Income exclusions"). The amount presented assumes eligibility for the highest rental allowance and the maximum budget amount.
b. Committee sets state payments for recipients in boarding homes in accordance with individual cost data for the operations of the facility.
c. Recipients residing in a Medicaid facility receive a supplement that varies depending on the facility.
DEFINITIONS: Independent community living Any type of living arrangement that is not a licensed room and board facility or a medical or penal institution. Licensed room and board facility Community group home, training home, family care home, private boarding home, or other residential facility that is licensed by the Connecticut Department of Mental Retardation, Department of Children and Youth Services, Department of Mental Health, Department of Health, or other state agency and that at a minimum provides lodging and meals to various groups of elderly, blind, or disabled individuals. Medicaid facility Includes general hospitals, long-term care facilities, skilled nursing facilities, immediate care facilities, institutions for the mentally retarded, mental disease facilities if the resident is aged 21 or older, and tuberculosis facilities if the resident is aged 65 or older.

Number of recipients: See Table 2.

Table 2. Number of persons receiving optional state supplementation, January 2002
Living arrangement	Total	Aged	Blind ^a	Disabled
All recipients	21,294	6,095	132	15,067
Independent community living	16,703	4,789	76	11,838
Licensed room and board facility	4,591	1,306	56	3,229
Medicaid facility	b	b	b	b
NOTE: Includes certain grandfathered, non-SSI recipients who meet state eligibility criteria.
a. Includes blind children, who are the only children eligible for optional supplementation.
b. Data are not available.

State Assistance for Special Needs

Administration

Connecticut Department of Social Services.

Special Needs Circumstances

Recurring

Emergency housing: One occurrence per calendar year; no more than 60 days per occurrence.

Refuse collection: Actual charge.

Therapeutic diet: $36.20 a month.

Meals on Wheels: $4.36 for one meal a day; $7.97 for two meals a day.

Restaurant meals: $36.20 a month for an individual living in the community; $7.80 per day for an individual living in emergency housing.

Nonrecurring

Security deposit for housing: Up to two times the monthly obligation.

Security deposit for heating service: Actual cost up to a limit of $200.

Storage charges: Up to 3 months.

Moving expenses: Handled on an individual basis.

Essential household furnishings: Handled on an individual basis.

Telephone installation: Handled on an individual basis.

Essential clothing: Handled on an individual basis.

Medicaid

Eligibility

Criteria: Federal and state guidelines.

Determined by: State.

Medically Needy Program

State provides a program for the aged, blind, and disabled medically needy.

Unpaid Medical Expenses

The Social Security Administration does not obtain this information.