State Assistance Programs for SSI Recipients, January 2008
Oregon
State Supplementation
Mandatory Minimum Supplementation
No recipients.
Optional State Supplementation
Administration: State Department of Human Services, Seniors, and People with Disabilities Division (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 and local offices of county and local government.
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 participates.
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 or in the household of another.
Payment levels: See Table 1.
| Living arrangement | Combined federal and state | State supplementation | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual | Couple | Individual | Couple | |
| Living independently | ||||
| Aged and disabled | 638.70 | … | 1.70 | … |
| Blind | 663.70 | 981.00 | 26.70 | 25.00 |
| Living in the household of another | ||||
| Aged and disabled | 426.37 | … | 1.70 | … |
| Blind | 451.37 | 662.34 | 26.70 | 25.00 |
| Adult foster care or residential care facility a | ||||
| Aged and disabled | 638.70 | b | 1.70 | b |
| Blind | 663.70 | b | 26.70 | b |
| SOURCES: Social Security Administration, Office of Income Security Programs; state information. | ||||
| NOTE: … = not applicable. | ||||
| a. Additional costs are covered by special service funds. Persons with veterans aid and attendants income are allowed to keep $90 as a personal needs allowance. | ||||
| b. The state no longer supplements couples in adult foster care, residential care, assisted living, or specialized living. These recipients are covered under a home and community waiver. The income standard is 300 percent of the SSI standard for a single recipient. | ||||
DEFINITIONS:
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Number of recipients: See Table 2.
| Living arrangement | Total | Aged | Blind a | Disabled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All recipients | 24,085 | 3,235 | 446 | 20,404 |
| Living independently or in the household of another | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Adult foster care or residential care facility | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| SOURCE: State information. | ||||
| NOTE: -- = not available. | ||||
| a. Includes blind children. | ||||
Total expenditures: The state reported expenditures of $5,855,808 for calendar year 2007 in state-administered payments to SSI recipients.
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 would be in an imminent life-threatening situation without the diet.
Restaurant meals: Recipients living in their own home who are unable to prepare their own meals.
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 is unable to leave their residence without assistance due to a documented medical condition.
Food for guide dogs and special assistive animals: Payment for food will be made for trained guide dogs or special assistive animals.
Home repairs: The repairs must be needed 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 Department 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.
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.
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.