SSI 'sharing household expenses' rules changed? No longer including groceries in fair share calculation?

The caseworker is probably referring to the updated PMV (Presumed Maximum Value) rule for SSI. As of 2023, SSA made some changes to how they calculate the 'one-third reduction rule' and 'the presumed maximum value rule' for in-kind support. The fair share concept still applies - if your sister pays her equal share of household expenses, she won't face the reduction. But you're right to question the grocery part. According to the POMS manual, fair share should include food, shelter, and utilities when determining if someone is paying their fair share. I'd recommend calling SSA again and asking them to explain the specific policy change they're referring to - it's possible there's a new internal guidance that isn't widely known yet.

OMG the rules keep changing!!! I went through this EXACT same thing with my son last year and they DEFINITELY counted groceries as part of household expenses! We had to track EVERYTHING for 3 months - rent, electric, water, internet AND food - and divide by the number of people in the house. It was such a HASSLE and then they STILL didn't approve the change for another 2 months!!! If they changed it to make it simpler, that's actually good news, but I'd get it in WRITING because different workers tell you different things!!!

I work with SSI recipients regularly, and there hasn't been an official nationwide policy change removing food/groceries from the fair share calculation that I'm aware of. The basic rule is still that if a person pays their fair share of household expenses (typically rent/mortgage, utilities, AND food), then they aren't receiving in-kind support and maintenance (ISM). However, in some field offices, they may be implementing simplified procedures that focus primarily on housing costs since those are easier to document and verify. I've noticed some caseworkers will approve fair share calculations based primarily on rent/utilities if those payments alone reach the threshold needed. I'd recommend documenting everything anyway - rent, utilities, AND food contributions. Better to have too much documentation than not enough.

From my understanding, they're supposed to count food when calculating the fair share. But honestly, your caseworker might be doing you a favor by not including it. It's usually easier to prove rent and utilities with receipts or money orders. Grocery spending is harder to document consistently. If your sister can show she's paying 1/2 of rent and utilities (assuming 2 people in household), that might be enough to remove the reduction without dealing with the complexity of tracking grocery expenses.

They just did the same thing with my disability review last month - only asked for rent receipts and utility bills, nothing about groceries. Got approved really fast too. Maybe they're just being more efficient? Or maybe different offices are doing things different ways? Typical SSA confusion lol

Have you tried calling the SSA directly to get clarification on the policy? I was dealing with endless wait times trying to reach someone about my mother's SSI issue. I finally discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com) and they got me connected to an SSA agent in under 10 minutes. There's even a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU When I finally talked to an agent, they explained that while the written policy still includes food in fair share calculations, they're currently focused on housing expenses in many regions due to staffing shortages. They said as long as my mom could document her share of the rent and utilities, that was sufficient for their review. Might be worth asking specifically about your local office's current practices.

Btw my son's caseworker told me the 'fair share' calculation is super simple: take total household expenses and divide by number of people. So for 2 people, your sister should pay 50%. But what counts as 'household expenses' seems to be the confusion here!!!

Just to provide some additional information: The POMS (Program Operations Manual System) section SI 00835.160 is what covers the 'sharing household expenses' rules. It still explicitly includes food in the calculation. Here's the official policy: "A person is considered to be living in another person's household and receiving ISM in the form of food and shelter if: - The person does not pay their pro rata share of the household operating expenses for food and shelter, or - The person pays less than their pro rata share of the household operating expenses for food and shelter." However, I've heard some field offices are streamlining the process by focusing primarily on shelter costs since those are the largest expense and easiest to document. This might explain the inconsistent information your caseworker provided.

One more thing to consider - if your sister buys and prepares her food separately from your mom, that could be why they're not concerned about the grocery calculation. The rules are different if someone purchases their own food versus sharing household food expenses.

As someone new to navigating SSI rules, this thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with a similar situation with my elderly father who lives with me. The inconsistency in how different caseworkers interpret these rules is really frustrating. It sounds like the safest approach is to document everything - rent, utilities, AND food expenses - even if the caseworker says they only need housing costs. That way you're covered if they later ask for more documentation or if you get assigned to a different worker who interprets the rules differently. Good luck with your sister's case! I hope the fair share calculation gets her SSI increased.

I'm also new to dealing with SSI rules and this conversation has been really eye-opening! It seems like there's a lot of variation in how different offices handle these cases. Based on what everyone is sharing, it sounds like your sister might be in a good position if she's already paying $425 for rent and $150 for utilities in a two-person household - that's definitely her fair share of housing costs. I'd suggest keeping detailed records of all her contributions just in case, but if the caseworker is willing to process the fair share calculation based only on housing expenses, that could actually work in your favor since those are much easier to document than grocery spending. Has your sister been keeping receipts or bank records showing these payments? That documentation will probably be key regardless of which expenses they decide to count.

I'm new to this community and SSI rules in general, but this discussion has been incredibly informative! I'm currently helping my disabled brother navigate a similar situation. From what I'm reading here, it sounds like there might be some regional differences in how caseworkers are implementing the fair share calculations, which would explain the conflicting information you received. The fact that multiple people have mentioned caseworkers focusing primarily on housing costs (rent/utilities) suggests this might be a practical streamlining measure rather than an official policy change. I'd recommend documenting everything as others have suggested - better to be over-prepared than caught off guard if requirements change. Have you considered asking your caseworker to provide any written guidance about which expenses to include? That way you'd have something concrete to reference if there are any issues later. Thanks for starting this thread - it's helping me understand what to expect when we go through this process!

Welcome to the community! As someone who's also navigating SSI rules for the first time, this thread has been incredibly educational. It's clear there's quite a bit of inconsistency in how different offices and caseworkers handle these fair share calculations. From what everyone is sharing, it sounds like your sister is already paying a substantial amount ($575 total for rent and utilities in a two-person household), which should definitely qualify as her fair share of housing costs. I'd echo what others have said about documenting everything - even if the caseworker says they only need housing expenses, having food expense records as backup could be valuable if policies change or you get assigned to a different worker. The variation in experiences people are sharing here really highlights how important it is to be prepared for different interpretations of the rules. Has your caseworker given you any timeline for when they'll make a decision on the fair share calculation? And have you been able to get any of their guidance in writing? That seems like it could be really helpful given all the conflicting information floating around. Good luck with your sister's case - it sounds like you're being very thorough in helping her navigate this process!

I'm new to this community and dealing with SSI issues for the first time, so this whole thread has been incredibly helpful! My grandmother is in a similar situation where we're trying to prove she pays her fair share of household expenses. What's really striking to me is how much variation there seems to be between different SSA offices and caseworkers - some are asking for comprehensive documentation including food expenses, while others are streamlining and only focusing on housing costs. Based on everything I'm reading here, it sounds like your sister is in a strong position with $425 for rent and $150 for utilities in a two-person household - that's definitely her proportional share of housing expenses. I think the advice about documenting everything (including food expenses) even if they say it's not needed is really smart. Better to be over-prepared than scrambling later if requirements change or you get a different caseworker. Has anyone else noticed if there are particular regions or states where this simplified approach (focusing just on housing costs) is more common? I'm wondering if this is a broader trend or just isolated cases. Either way, it's clear that having thorough documentation and being prepared for different interpretations of the rules is key to success with these applications.

I'm new to this community and SSI rules, but this discussion has been so enlightening! My aunt is going through something similar right now, and I had no idea there could be such variation in how different caseworkers handle these fair share calculations. From reading everyone's experiences, it really seems like the key is being prepared for any scenario - document everything, even if they tell you it's not necessary. What's particularly helpful is seeing the actual POMS citation that Layla provided - it's good to know what the official policy says versus how it's being applied in practice. Your sister's situation with paying $425 rent + $150 utilities sounds like it should definitely qualify as fair share for a two-person household, regardless of whether they include food expenses or not. I'm curious - has anyone had success appealing a decision if their initial fair share calculation was rejected? It seems like having that comprehensive documentation could be really valuable if you need to go through an appeals process. Thanks for starting this thread and sharing your experience - it's helping those of us who are new to this system understand what we might encounter!

I'm new to this community and SSI rules, but this thread has been incredibly informative! My mother-in-law is currently receiving SSI and lives with us, and I've been wondering about this exact issue. Reading through everyone's experiences, it's clear that there's significant inconsistency in how different offices handle fair share calculations. What strikes me most is how some caseworkers are focusing primarily on housing costs while others still require comprehensive documentation including food expenses. Your sister's payments of $425 for rent and $150 for utilities definitely seem like they should qualify as fair share in a two-person household, regardless of the food calculation. I'm taking notes on all the advice here about documenting everything - even if they say certain expenses aren't needed. The suggestion to get guidance in writing from the caseworker is particularly smart. Has anyone found that certain types of documentation work better than others? For example, are bank transfers more accepted than cash receipts, or do money orders carry more weight? Thanks for starting this discussion - it's helping me prepare for when we eventually need to navigate this process with my mother-in-law's case. The community knowledge here is invaluable for understanding how these rules work in practice versus on paper!

I'm new to this community and SSI navigation, but this thread has been incredibly helpful! My elderly father is in a similar situation where we're trying to establish fair share payments to avoid the in-kind support reduction. What's really concerning to me is the inconsistency everyone is describing - it seems like your experience can vary dramatically depending on which office and caseworker you get assigned to. From everything I'm reading here, your sister's contributions of $425 rent + $150 utilities in a two-person household definitely sound like they should qualify as fair share, regardless of whether food is included in the calculation. The fact that some offices are streamlining by focusing only on housing costs might actually work in your favor since those expenses are much easier to document consistently. I'm taking notes on all the advice about comprehensive documentation - keeping records of everything even if they say it's not needed seems like the safest approach. The suggestion to get any guidance in writing from your caseworker is particularly smart given all the conflicting information floating around. Have you been able to track your sister's payment history through bank records or receipts? That paper trail seems crucial based on what others are sharing. Thanks for starting this discussion - it's giving me a much better understanding of what to expect when we go through this process. This community's real-world knowledge is so much more valuable than trying to interpret the official guidelines alone!

I'm new to this community and SSI rules, but this entire thread has been incredibly educational! My disabled sister is in a very similar situation, and I had no idea there was so much variation in how different SSA offices handle fair share calculations. What's really helpful is seeing both the official policy (thanks for that POMS citation!) and how it's actually being implemented in practice. It sounds like your sister's payments of $425 for rent and $150 for utilities should definitely qualify as fair share in a two-person household, which is encouraging. I'm definitely taking notes on everyone's advice about documenting everything - even expenses the caseworker says aren't needed. The inconsistency in how different offices handle these cases makes it clear that being over-prepared is the way to go. The suggestion about getting any guidance in writing from your caseworker is brilliant - I wouldn't have thought of that but it makes so much sense given all the conflicting information people are receiving. Has anyone had experience with how long the review process typically takes once you submit the fair share documentation? I'm trying to set realistic expectations for my sister's case. Thanks for starting this discussion - the real-world knowledge being shared here is so much more valuable than trying to navigate the official guidelines alone!

I'm new to this community and SSI rules, but this discussion has been so incredibly helpful! My grandmother is currently going through a similar situation where we're trying to prove she pays her fair share of household expenses to avoid the SSI reduction. What's really striking to me from reading everyone's experiences is how much inconsistency there seems to be between different SSA offices and caseworkers. Some are requiring comprehensive documentation including food expenses, while others are streamlining the process to focus only on housing costs. It's honestly pretty concerning that your experience can vary so dramatically depending on which worker you get assigned to. Your sister's contributions of $425 for rent and $150 for utilities in a two-person household definitely sound like they should qualify as paying her fair share, regardless of whether food gets included in the calculation. That's $575 total which is substantial for housing costs alone. I'm taking notes on all the advice here about documenting everything - even expenses the caseworker says aren't needed. Given all the conflicting information people are receiving, it seems like being over-prepared is definitely the way to go. The suggestion about getting any guidance in writing from your caseworker is particularly smart - I wouldn't have thought of that but it makes perfect sense as protection if interpretations change or you get a different worker. Thanks for starting this thread - it's giving me a much better understanding of what to expect when we navigate this process with my grandmother's case. The real-world knowledge this community shares is so much more valuable than trying to decipher the official guidelines alone!

I'm new to this community and SSI rules, but this whole discussion has been incredibly eye-opening! My brother receives SSI and lives with our parents, and I've been wondering about this exact fair share situation. What really stands out to me from everyone's experiences is how much the process seems to depend on which caseworker and office you get - that's honestly pretty concerning for something that should have consistent rules nationwide. Your sister's payments of $425 rent + $150 utilities definitely sound like they should qualify as fair share in a two-person household - that's $575 total which is substantial! I'm taking notes on everyone's advice about documenting everything, even if the caseworker says certain expenses aren't needed. The suggestion about getting guidance in writing is brilliant - I never would have thought of that but it makes perfect sense given all the conflicting information people are receiving. It's really encouraging to see how supportive and knowledgeable this community is. The practical insights being shared here are so much more valuable than trying to navigate the official guidelines alone. Has anyone found that bank transfers or money orders work better than cash receipts for documentation? I want to make sure we're prepared with the right type of proof when we eventually need to go through this process. Thanks for starting this discussion - it's helping so many of us understand what to expect!

I'm new to this community and SSI navigation, but this thread has been absolutely invaluable! My stepfather is currently receiving SSI and lives with my mother, and we've been trying to understand these fair share rules for months. Reading through everyone's experiences, it's clear that there's significant variation in how different SSA offices handle these calculations, which is both concerning and helpful to know in advance. Your sister's situation with $425 rent + $150 utilities ($575 total) definitely sounds like it should qualify as fair share in a two-person household, especially if they're streamlining to focus primarily on housing costs. What's really helpful is seeing both the official POMS policy that was cited and how it's actually being implemented in practice by different offices. I'm definitely taking notes on all the advice about comprehensive documentation - keeping records of everything even if a caseworker says certain expenses aren't needed. The suggestion about getting any guidance in writing is particularly smart given all the conflicting information people are sharing. One question I have - for those who have successfully gotten their SSI increased through fair share calculations, how long did it typically take for the increase to actually show up in payments after approval? I want to help my stepfather set realistic expectations about the timeline. Thanks for starting this discussion - the real-world knowledge being shared here is so much more practical than anything I could find in official resources!