Oregon

State Supplementation

Mandatory Minimum Supplementation

Administration: State Department of Human Services, Seniors, and People with Disabilities (state-administered in local offices).

Optional State Supplementation

Administration: State Department of Human Services, Seniors, and People with Disabilities (state-administered in local offices).

Effective date: January 1, 1974.

Statutory basis for payment: Oregon Revised Statutes 411.120.

Funding

Administration: State funds.

Assistance: State funds.

Passalong method: Maintaining total expenditures.

Place of application: Local offices of the Department of Human Services.

Scope of coverage: Optional state supplement provided to all SSI recipients residing in the specified living arrangements. Blind children are eligible for state supplementation; disabled children under age 18 are ineligible.

Resource limitations: Federal SSI limitations used, except that the transfer of a home may render a person ineligible after 60 months from the date of application per the Deficit Reduction Act.

Income exclusions: Federal SSI earned and unearned income exclusions used.

Recoveries, liens, and assignments: Assistance paid constitutes an unsecured prior claim against property or any interest therein belonging to the estate of a recipient except such portion as is being occupied as a home by the spouse, minor dependent child, or parent of deceased recipient. The Department of Human Services may compromise claim by accepting other security or may waive payment when enforcement would be inequitable and would tend to defeat the purpose of public assistance law.

Financial responsibility of relatives: None.

Interim assistance: State does not participate.

Payment calculation method: The state issues a standard supplement of $1.70 to aged individuals, $26.70 to blind individuals, and $25.00 to blind couples living independently in the household of another. The state no longer provides a supplement to couples who reside in adult foster care or residential care. For all benefits that qualify as special needs, a check is issued to the recipient for the amount of the supplement.

Payment levels: See Table 1.

Number of recipients: See Table 2.

State Assistance for Special Needs

Administration

State Department of Human Services, Seniors, and People with Disabilities.

Special Needs Circumstances

Community-based care: Eligible for payment for room and board during the month of admission at the initial placement. Room and board payments may be paid to the community-based facility during the temporary absence.

Special diet: Payment for a special diet will be allowed if need has been established by a physician and the recipient maintains independent living.

Restaurant meals: Recipients living in their own home who are unable to prepare their own meals, but are eligible for Food Stamps, may have their meals prepared by attendants.

Laundry allowances: Recipients are eligible for a laundry allowance if they have excessive costs for coin-operated laundry facilities.

Telephone allowances: Telephone allowances may be provided when the recipient lives alone and is housebound, lives in a situation so remote that a telephone is essential, or needs a telephone to maintain a job.

Food for guide dogs and special assistive animals: Payment for food will be made for guide dogs or special assistive animals.

Home repairs: The repairs must be done to remove a physical hazard to the health and safety of the recipient.

Property taxes: Recipients who are homeowners or homebuyers are allowed a special need of one year of delinquent real property taxes, penalties, and interest if needed to prevent imminent foreclosure.

Moving costs: The state will authorize payment for the cost of moving a recipient's household effects if moving is essential to provide nonhazardous housing, the recipient has been evicted for reasons other than his or her own neglect, or the move is a result of domestic violence.

Room and board: Recipients receive the standard allowance for room and board.

Accommodation allowance: A temporary accommodation allowance may be authorized when the recipient leaves his or her home or rental property and enters a hospital, state psychiatric institution, nursing facility, or community-based care facility. Additionally, a recipient may receive an accommodation allowance if the recipient's shelter cost exceeds the shelter standard and the recipient has a documented increase in costs.

Transportation costs: Transportation costs are provided for work search; bus tickets are provided for bona fide job interviews.

Medicaid

Eligibility

Criteria: SSI program guidelines (Title XVI).

Determined by: State.

Medically Needy Program

State does not provide a program for the medically needy.

Unpaid Medical Expenses

The Social Security Administration does not obtain this information.