State Assistance Programs for SSI Recipients, January 2011

Rhode Island

The state did not respond to our request for 2011 data. The text reflects the last update provided by the state. Total expenditures and tables 1 and 2 reflect 2011 federal reporting and 2010 state data.

State Supplementation

Mandatory Minimum Supplementation

No recipients.

Optional State Supplementation

Administration: Social Security Administration; State Department of Human Services.

Effective date: January 1, 1974.

Statutory basis for payment: General Laws of Rhode Island, 1956, as amended, title 40, chapter 6, section 27.

Funding

Administration: State funds.

Assistance: State funds.

Passalong method: Maintaining payment levels.

Place of application: Social Security Administration field offices.

Scope of coverage: Optional state supplement provided to all SSI recipients, including children, residing in the specified living arrangements.

Resource limitations: Federal SSI regulations apply.

Income exclusions: Federal SSI regulations apply.

Recoveries, liens, and assignments: None.

Financial responsibility of relatives: None.

Interim assistance: State participates.

Payment calculation method: Not provided by state.

Payment levels: See Table 1.

Table 1. Optional state supplementation payment levels, January 2011 (in dollars)
Living arrangement State code Combined federal and state State supplementation
Individual Couple Individual Couple
Living alone A 713.92 1,090.38 39.92 79.38
Living in the household of another B 501.26 771.30 51.92 97.30
Adult residential care or assisted living facility D 1,212.00 . . . 538.00 . . .
Medicaid facility E 50.00 100.00 20.00 40.00
SOURCE: Social Security Administration, Office of Income Security Programs.
NOTE: . . . = not applicable.
DEFINITIONS:
A: Living alone.
Includes recipients residing in a federal Code A or C living arrangement. Includes persons in medical facilities who are residing in a federal Code A living arrangement on the basis of their eligibility under section1611(e)(1)(E) of the Social Security Act.
B: Living in the household of another.
Includes recipients residing in a federal Code B living arrangement.
D: Adult residential care or assisted living facility.
Includes adult recipients who reside in a federal Code A living arrangement and live in a licensed shelter care facility.
E: 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 2011 a
Living arrangement State code Total Aged Blind Disabled
Adults Children
All recipients   31,086 3,503 150 21,097 6,336
Living alone A 29,104 2,992 139 19,897 6,076
Living in the household of another B 1,075 175 9 692 199
Adult residential care or assisted living facility D 563 291 2 269 1
Medicaid facility E 344 45 0 239 60
SOURCE: Social Security Administration, Supplemental Security Record, 100 percent data.
a. State changed administration of optional program from federal to state in 2011. Data not available from the state for 2011. Data shown are from 2010.

Total expenditures: The state reported expenditures of $18,115,000 for calendar year 2010 in state-administered payments to SSI recipients.

State Assistance for Special Needs

Administration

State Department of Human Services.

Special Needs Circumstances

Moving expenses: Within cost guidelines, moving costs are covered for SSI recipients when the move is determined to be socially desirable and moving services cannot be provided by city, town, or other community resources.

Catastrophic conditions: In the event of a catastrophe by fire, flood, lightning, or severe wind, the state will provide shelter, clothing, food, and essential household equipment and furnishings.

Burial expenses: The cost of burial expenses can be provided for any person who dies leaving insufficient resources to meet this expense.

Homemaker services: Services provided under specified criteria to prevent institutionalization of a recipient who is unable to perform homemaker duties because of an acute or chronic illness.

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.