State Assistance Programs for SSI Recipients, January 2002

Washington

State Supplementation

Mandatory Minimum Supplementation

Administration: Social Security Administration.

Optional State Supplementation

Administration: State Department of Social and Health Services administers payments to SSI recipients in Medicaid facilities. All other state supplements are administered by the Social Security Administration.

Effective date: January 1, 1974.

Statutory basis for payment: State law in Revised Code of Washington 74.04.600–74.04.630 and state policy in Washington Administrative Code 388-474.

Funding

Administration: State funds.

Assistance: State funds.

Passalong method: Maintaining total expenditures.

Place of application: Social Security Administration field offices.

Scope of coverage: Optional state supplement provided to needy aged, blind, and disabled persons, including children, except for individuals converted from former state assistance programs who have more than one essential person, eligible couples with one or more essential persons, and residents of public emergency shelters for the homeless.

Resource limitations: Federal SSI resource limitations apply.

Income exclusions: Federal SSI income exclusions apply.

Recoveries, liens, and assignments: None.

Responsibility of relatives: None.

Interim assistance: State participates.

Payment levels: See Table 1.

Table 1. Optional state supplementation payment levels (in dollars)
Living arrangement State code Combined federal
and state		 State supplementation
Individual Couple Individual Couple
Living independently a A
Area 1 570.90 836.90 25.90 19.90
Area 2 550.45 817.00 5.45 . . .
Living with an ineligible spouse b B
Area 1 711.10 . . . 166.10 . . .
Area 2 681.15 . . . 136.15 . . .
Living in the household of another C 367.05 548.87 3.71 4.20
Living in the household of another with an ineligible spouse F 465.00 . . . 101.66 . . .
Living in a Medicaid facility c . . . 41.62 83.24 11.62 23.24
NOTES: Area 1 includes King, Kitsap, Pierce, Snohomish, and Thurston counties. Area 2 includes all other counties.
. . . = not applicable.
a. Includes persons in congregate care group facilities.
b. Applies only to cases converted from former state assistance programs.
c. State administers payments.
DEFINITIONS:
A: Living independently
Applies to recipients residing in a federal Code A or C living arrangement unless they are living with an ineligible spouse or temporarily residing in a medical institution.
B: Living with an ineligible spouse
Applies to recipients who are living independently with a spouse who does not qualify for SSI payments.
C: Living in the household of another
Applies to recipients residing in a federal Code B living arrangement unless they are living with an ineligible spouse or temporarily residing in a medical institution.
F: Living in the household of another with an ineligible spouse
Includes recipients residing in a federal Code B living arrangement who have an ineligible spouse.
Living in a Medicaid facility
Includes recipients residing in a federal Code D living arrangement.

Number of recipients: See Table 2.

Table 2. Number of persons receiving optional state supplementation, January 2002
Living arrangement State code Total Aged Blind Disabled
Adults Children
All recipients 97,850 12,710 870 69,330 14,940
Living independently A 91,760 11,850 760 64,430 14,720
Living with an ineligible spouse B 4,650 580 90 3,980 0
Living in the household of another C 1,440 280 20 920 220
Living in the household of another with an ineligible spouse F 0 0 0 0 0
Living in a Medicaid facility a . . . b b b b b
NOTE: . . . = not applicable.
a. State administers payments.
b. Data are not available.

State Assistance for Special Needs

Administration

Department of Social and Health Services, Economic Services Administration, Division of Assistance Programs.

Special Needs Circumstances

Guide dog: Food for service animal at the rate of $33.66 per month.

Other utility charges

Telephone: Amount varies according to need and location.

Laundry: $11.13 per month.

Meals

Restaurant meals: $187.09 per month; $6.04 per day.

Home-delivered meals: The amount charged by the agency delivering the service.

Medicaid

Eligibility

Criteria: SSI program guidelines (Title XVI).

Determined by: Social Security Administration.

Medically Needy Program

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

Unpaid Medical Expenses

The Social Security Administration obtains this information.