State Assistance Programs for SSI Recipients, January 2009
Nebraska
State Supplementation
Mandatory Minimum Supplementation
Administration: State Department of Health and Human Services.
Optional State Supplementation
Administration: State Department of Health and Human Services.
Effective date: January 1, 1974.
Statutory basis for payment: Revised Statutes of Nebraska, section 68-1005.
Funding
Administration: State funds.
Assistance: State funds.
Passalong method: Maintaining total expenditures.
Place of application: Local offices of the state Department of Health and Human Services.
Scope of coverage: Optional state supplement provided to all aged, blind, and disabled recipients who meet state guidelines, including children, except those in public institutions where Medicaid is not paying for the cost of care. Persons living in the household of another receive the same state supplement as those living independently.
Resource limitations: Federal SSI regulations apply.
Income exclusions
Aged and disabled: Federal SSI regulations apply.
Blind: Income exclusions include the first $20 per month of unearned income, not including SSI, and the first $85 plus one-half of the remainder of earned income.
Recoveries, liens, and assignments: None.
Financial responsibility of relatives: Spouse for spouse.
Interim assistance: State participates.
Payment calculation method: A standard applies that is established by the state for the total SSI payment. The federal SSI payment and any countable income are deducted from the state standard. The remainder is the state supplementation.
Payment levels: See Table 1.
Living arrangement | Combined federal and state | State supplementation | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Individual | Couple | Individual | Couple | |
Living independently | 679.00 | 1,011.00 | 5.00 | 0.00 |
Room and board facility a | 674.00 | 1,348.00 | 0.00 | 337.00 |
Adult family home a | 802.00 | 1,604.00 | 128.00 | 593.00 |
Licensed center for developmentally disabled | 674.00 | 1,348.00 | 0.00 | 337.00 |
Licensed group home for children or child-caring agency (disabled) a | 738.00 | . . . | 64.00 | . . . |
Assisted living facility | 1,112.00 | 2,224.00 | 438.00 | 1,213.00 |
Medicaid facility | 50.00 | 100.00 | 20.00 | 40.00 |
SOURCES: Social Security Administration, Office of Income Security Programs; state information. | ||||
NOTE: . . . = not applicable. | ||||
a. Includes a minimum of $60 for personal needs allowance. Couples are treated as two individuals starting with the month after leaving an independent living arrangement. | ||||
DEFINITIONS:
|
Number of recipients: See Table 2.
Living arrangement | Total | Aged | Blind | Disabled |
---|---|---|---|---|
All recipients | 5,437 | 1,031 | 54 | 4,352 |
Living independently | 3,638 | 698 | 38 | 2,902 |
Room and board facility | 9 | 2 | 0 | 7 |
Adult family home | 103 | 8 | 1 | 94 |
Licensed center for developmentally disabled | 42 | 5 | 0 | 37 |
Licensed group home for children or child-caring agency (disabled) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Assisted living facility | 962 | 186 | 7 | 769 |
Medicaid facility | 645 | 131 | 8 | 506 |
Other | 37 | 1 | 0 | 36 |
SOURCE: State information. | ||||
NOTE: Includes certain grandfathered, non-SSI recipients who meet state eligibility criteria. |
Total expenditures: The state reported expenditures of $6,255,663 for calendar year 2008 in state-administered payments to SSI recipients.
State Assistance for Special Needs
Administration
State Department of Health and Human Services.
Special Needs Circumstances
Transportation costs: Fifty-eight cents per mile for obtaining medical services if recipient uses his or her own car.
Repair or purchase of furniture and appliances: Repair or purchase of furniture and appliances over $750 total cost may be included (with state office approval) if the unit lacks essential items.
Moving expenses: Costs of moving may be included if the recipient is forced to move for reasons beyond his or her control or if the recipient can obtain lower-cost shelter.
Taxes: Back taxes may be included if the individual would soon lose his or her home and the plan to remain in the home is preferred by the individual and recommended by the case worker.
Home repairs: Payments for home repairs, up to $1,000, if essential for the recipient's health or safety.
Meals and lodging: The cost of meals (up to $12 per day) and lodging, if verified as related to obtaining approved health services, may be granted if the individual is away from home for more than 12 hours.
Maintenance for guide dog: The medical and maintenance costs of a seeing-eye dog may be allowed.
Guardian or conservator: An allowance not to exceed $10 a month may be allowed if the client has a court-appointed guardian or conservator.
Medicaid
Eligibility
Criteria: SSI program guidelines (Title XVI).
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.