SSI household expenses confusion - real estate tax and home insurance not counted for disabled child?

They should definitely be counting your property taxes and homeowners insurance as part of housing expenses for SSI. When I went through this with my nephew, all housing expenses were included in the calculations. The rep might be confusing the rules or applying them incorrectly. I suggest calling SSA back and speaking with a different representative, or asking to speak with a supervisor who can clarify the policy. Make sure to document the date/time of your calls and who you spoke with. The way they calculate the child's SSI benefit takes into account the household expenses, so leaving these out could potentially reduce the benefit amount.

i had the EXACT same issue last yr with my daughters ssi!!! the 1st rep told me no on taxes/insurance then i got a super low benefit amount. had to appeal and show ALL my housing costs. took 3 extra months but they fixed it and gave backpay. don't wait call them asap!!!

You're absolutely right to question this. For SSI purposes, household expenses should include all housing costs - mortgage/rent, property taxes, insurance, utilities, etc. This affects how they calculate the child's portion of household expenses and ultimately impacts the benefit amount. For a disabled child under guardianship, they apply something called "deeming" rules where they look at the guardian's income and resources, and part of that calculation includes determining what portion of household expenses should be attributed to the child. Without your complete housing costs, they can't accurately make this determination. I recommend calling the SSA and specifically asking them to review their policy on counting property taxes and insurance as part of housing expenses for the SSI deeming calculation for a child. Reference POMS SI 01320.175 if needed (that's their internal policy manual section that covers this).

When I applied for my son the rep asked for everything - mortgage, taxes, insurance, even HOA fees. Different reps seem to handle things differently. The problem is that some field offices train their people better than others. You definitely need to call back and get this straightened out BEFORE they make a determination. Once they determine an amount, fixing it becomes much harder.

my sister went through this mess last year with her kid. took FOREVER to get through to someone who knew what they were talking about. they kept hanging up on her!! so frustrating when ur just trying to help a disabled child get what they need!!

does ur grandson get medicaid too? make sure they don't mess that up when fixing the ssi stuff!!! sometimes when they adjust one thing it messes up the other

Just a follow-up tip - when you call back, ask for an itemized breakdown of how they're calculating the portion of household expenses allocated to your grandson. This should be documented in their system notes once the determination is made. Having this breakdown will help you verify they've included all appropriate expenses. Also, request that they note in your case file that you attempted to provide property tax and insurance information during the initial interview but were told it wasn't necessary. This creates a record that you tried to provide complete information from the start, which can be important if you need to appeal later.

THE WHOLE SSI SYSTEM IS RIGGED AGAINST US!!! They DELIBERATELY leave out information so they can pay LESS benefits!!! I've been fighting with them for THREE YEARS about my daughter's benefits and they ALWAYS try to count everything against us but won't count things that would HELP us!!! It's a SYSTEM DESIGNED TO FAIL disabled children!!!!

Make sure you keep a record of everything - all your expenses, who you talked to, when you called, what they said. When I dealt with this for my son's SSI, having detailed notes saved me multiple times. Also bring his medical records with you if you have to go in person again. They like to "lose" important documents.

I'm a former SSA claims specialist and can confirm that property taxes and homeowners insurance absolutely should be counted as household expenses for SSI deeming calculations. The representative who told you these weren't needed was incorrect. When determining a child's SSI benefit under deeming rules, ALL housing costs are supposed to be included: mortgage/rent, property taxes, insurance, utilities, maintenance, etc. This is clearly outlined in the Program Operations Manual System (POMS). Call back immediately and ask to speak with a Technical Expert (TE) or supervisor who specializes in childhood SSI claims. Don't let them brush you off - your grandson's benefit amount depends on getting this right. Have your property tax bills and insurance statements ready when you call. The fact that you specifically asked about these expenses during your interview and were told they weren't needed should be documented in your case file. This creates a clear record that the error was on their end, not yours.

I'm new to this community but going through a similar situation with my disabled nephew's SSI application. Reading through everyone's responses has been so helpful - I had no idea that property taxes and insurance should be included in the household expenses calculation! Our SSA rep also seemed to gloss over these details during our interview. It's really concerning how inconsistent the training seems to be across different field offices. Thank you especially to Emma Wilson for the insider perspective - knowing that Technical Experts exist and specialize in childhood SSI claims is invaluable information. I'm definitely going to ask for one when I call about our case. Rachel, I hope your call goes well tomorrow! Please update us on how it turns out - I'm sure there are other families dealing with this same issue who could benefit from hearing about your experience.

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now with my daughter's SSI application! We just had our interview last week and the representative told me the same thing - that they only needed to know about our rent payment but not our renter's insurance or utility costs. I questioned it too because it seemed like they should want the complete picture of our housing expenses. Reading through all these responses has been so eye-opening. I had no idea that there were Technical Experts who specialize in childhood SSI claims, or that there's a specific policy manual section (POMS SI 01320.175) that covers this. Thank you Emma Wilson for that insider perspective - it's incredibly valuable to hear from someone who actually worked in the system. Rachel, I'm definitely going to follow your lead and call back to get this corrected before they make a determination on our case. It's so frustrating that we have to advocate this hard just to make sure they're following their own policies correctly, especially when it comes to benefits for our disabled children. I'll be interested to hear how your call goes tomorrow!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm currently going through the SSI application process for my autistic son and our representative also seemed to rush through the household expense questions. After reading everyone's experiences here, I realize I need to be much more proactive about ensuring they have complete information. The advice about asking for a Technical Expert who specializes in childhood SSI claims is gold - I had no idea these specialists even existed. It's really disappointing that we as parents and guardians have to become experts in SSA policies just to make sure our disabled children get the benefits they're entitled to. Emma Wilson, thank you so much for sharing your insider knowledge. Having that confirmation from someone who actually worked in the system makes all the difference. And Rachel, I'm really hoping your call goes well tomorrow - please keep us updated! Your persistence in questioning the representative's response is exactly the kind of advocacy our kids need. It sounds like documenting everything and being prepared with specific policy references is crucial. I'm going to gather all my housing expense documents and call them this week to make sure they have the complete picture for my son's case.

I'm a newcomer to this community but have been following this discussion closely as I'm about to start the SSI application process for my disabled daughter. Reading through everyone's experiences has been both enlightening and concerning - it's clear that many SSA representatives are not properly trained on the deeming rules for childhood SSI benefits. What really stands out to me is how consistent this problem seems to be across different field offices. Multiple people here have reported being told that property taxes, insurance, and other housing costs "don't count" when they absolutely should according to policy. Emma Wilson's insider perspective confirming that ALL housing expenses should be included gives me confidence that families aren't being unreasonable in their expectations - the representatives are simply not following proper procedures. The fact that there are Technical Experts who specialize in childhood SSI claims is invaluable information that I wish was more widely known. I'm going to be very prepared when I have my interview - I'll have all my housing expense documentation ready and won't hesitate to ask for a specialist if needed. Thank you to everyone who has shared their experiences and advice. Rachel, I'm particularly interested to hear how your call goes tomorrow as it will help guide my own approach. It's unfortunate that families dealing with disabled children have to become policy experts just to ensure proper treatment, but this community support makes all the difference in navigating these complex systems.

As someone new to this community, I'm appalled but not entirely surprised by how widespread this issue seems to be. I'm currently preparing to apply for SSI benefits for my disabled son, and reading through all these experiences has been both incredibly helpful and deeply concerning. The fact that so many representatives across different field offices are giving identical incorrect information about housing expenses suggests this is a systemic training problem, not isolated incidents. It's particularly troubling that families are being told their property taxes and insurance "don't count" when these are clearly significant housing costs that should factor into the deeming calculations. Emma Wilson's insider confirmation that ALL housing expenses should be included is invaluable - it gives me confidence that when I have my interview, I need to be prepared to advocate strongly for complete documentation. I'm definitely going to ask specifically for a Technical Expert who handles childhood SSI claims if I encounter any resistance. What strikes me most is how much specialized knowledge families need just to ensure their disabled children receive benefits they're legally entitled to. We shouldn't have to become SSA policy experts, but clearly it's necessary given the inconsistent training representatives receive. Thank you to everyone sharing their experiences - this community support is making a real difference for families navigating these complex systems. Rachel, I'm especially eager to hear how your call goes as it will help guide many of our approaches!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm both grateful and disheartened to find this discussion. I'm currently in the middle of an SSI application for my disabled nephew who I have guardianship of, and our representative gave us the exact same runaround about property taxes and homeowners insurance "not being needed." Reading through everyone's experiences, it's clear this isn't an isolated problem but a widespread training issue across SSA field offices. The consistency of representatives dismissing legitimate housing expenses is alarming, especially when it directly impacts benefit calculations for disabled children who desperately need these resources. Emma Wilson's confirmation from her SSA background that ALL housing costs should be included gives me the confidence I need to push back. I had that nagging feeling something was wrong when our rep rushed through the housing expense questions, but I didn't know enough about the policies to challenge it effectively. I'm going to call tomorrow and specifically request a Technical Expert who specializes in childhood SSI claims - I had no idea these specialists even existed until reading this thread. It's incredibly valuable information that should be more widely available to families going through this process. Thank you to everyone who has shared their experiences and advice. It's unfortunate that we have to become advocates and policy experts just to ensure our disabled children receive benefits they're entitled to, but this community support makes all the difference. Rachel, please update us on how your call goes - your experience will help guide many of us facing the same battle!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm both shocked and grateful to have found this discussion. I'm currently going through the SSI application process for my disabled foster daughter, and our caseworker gave us the exact same response about property taxes and homeowner's insurance - that they "weren't necessary for the application." Reading through everyone's experiences here has been eye-opening. The fact that multiple families across different field offices are being told identical incorrect information really does point to a widespread training problem rather than isolated mistakes. It's deeply concerning that representatives are consistently dismissing legitimate housing expenses that should be included in deeming calculations. Emma Wilson's insider perspective confirming that ALL housing costs should be counted has given me the confidence I needed to challenge this. Like many of you, I had that gut feeling something wasn't right when our rep rushed through those questions, but I didn't have the policy knowledge to push back effectively at the time. I'm planning to call this week and specifically ask for a Technical Expert who handles childhood SSI claims - I had no idea these specialists existed until reading this thread. Having the POMS reference number (SI 01320.175) and knowing to request documentation of my previous attempts to provide complete information will be crucial. Thank you to everyone who has shared their stories and advice. It's unfortunate that families caring for disabled children have to become SSA policy experts just to ensure proper benefit calculations, but this community support is invaluable. Rachel, I'm definitely interested in hearing how your call went - your experience will help guide many of us dealing with this same issue!

I'm new to this community and going through a very similar situation with my disabled daughter's SSI application. Our representative also told us that property taxes and homeowners insurance weren't needed, which immediately seemed wrong to me since these are major housing expenses. Reading through all of your experiences has been incredibly helpful and confirms my suspicions that this is a widespread training issue across SSA offices. The consistency of representatives giving identical incorrect information is really concerning, especially when it affects benefit calculations for our most vulnerable children. Emma Wilson's insider perspective has been invaluable - having confirmation from someone who actually worked in the system that ALL housing expenses should be included gives me the confidence I need to call back and advocate properly. I had no idea Technical Experts who specialize in childhood SSI claims even existed, but I'm definitely going to ask for one when I call. It's frustrating that we have to become SSA policy experts just to ensure our disabled children get the benefits they're entitled to, but I'm grateful for this community support. The advice about documentation, POMS references, and being persistent but polite is exactly what I needed to hear. Rachel, I hope your call went well! Please update us when you can - your experience will definitely help guide the rest of us who are dealing with this same issue.