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NebulaNinja

Will my son's SSI disability benefits change if we move states and my income situation changes?

My 12-year-old son just started receiving SSI disability benefits last month. Such a relief! His payment amount is based on our household income (my husband works full-time while I'm home caring for our son). We're currently living in Texas, but I'm planning to relocate to Georgia with my son while my husband stays in Texas. I have so many questions about how this will affect his benefits: 1. How do I properly report our interstate move to SSA? Will his benefit amount change when we move from Texas to Georgia? 2. My husband will continue sending us support money, and I'll need to find part-time work in Georgia. How will these two income sources affect my son's SSI payment? 3. I've heard conflicting information about income limits - someone mentioned $4,200 monthly? Is there a specific threshold where his benefits stop completely? 4. If they determine we're over the income limit, will SSA request repayment of his back payments? Sorry for the scattered questions, but I'm trying to plan carefully before making this move. His SSI helps tremendously with his special needs, but I need to understand what changes to expect!

Luca Russo

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The most important thing is to report your changes to SSA immediately when they happen. For SSI (unlike SSDI), each of these changes can affect your son's payment amount: 1. The interstate move must be reported within 10 days. Moving states doesn't automatically change the benefit amount, but different states have different supplemental payments that might apply. 2. Both income sources will affect the SSI payment. Your husband's support will count as income to your son (reduced by certain exclusions). Your new earnings will also count, but with different exclusions because it's earned income. 3. There isn't a single "cutoff" amount like $4,200. SSI uses complex calculations that depend on whether income is earned/unearned, who receives it, and what exclusions apply. Generally, for every $2 your son's countable income increases, his SSI decreases by $1. 4. If they determine an overpayment occurred, yes, they can request repayment.

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NebulaNinja

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Thank you for explaining! Is there a specific form I need to complete for the move? And when you say my husband's support will count as income - does that mean child support or just any money he sends us? We aren't legally separating yet, just living apart.

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Nia Wilson

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Oh honey be SUPER CAREFUL with this!!! My nephew lost his SSI when my sister didn't report income changes fast enough and they wanted EVERYTHING back! The income rules are STRICT and they watch every penny. You'll definitely need to report the move AND the separate addresses AND any child support. It's not just a simple formula - they have these complicated worksheets where they count some money but not other money. If your husband is still legally married to you, I think they still count his income even if your seperated!!

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NebulaNinja

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That's exactly what I'm worried about! Did your sister have to repay a lot? I'm trying to figure out if it's better to just stay put until we figure out the legal side of everything.

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Mateo Sanchez

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You need to report several distinct changes to SSA: 1. Change of address (Form SSA-8150 or through your my Social Security account) 2. Household composition change (your husband no longer living with you) 3. Any new income you receive 4. Any support payments from your husband For SSI, they'll recalculate the benefit based on these factors. The most significant change will be your household composition, as your husband's income may no longer be deemed to your son once you're maintaining separate households. However, any direct support he provides will count as unearned income to your son (after a $20 general exclusion). As for your work income, SSI has several exclusions for earned income: - First $65 of earnings per month (plus any unused portion of the $20 general exclusion) - 50% of remaining earnings So you can work part-time without eliminating the benefit completely. The key is reporting everything promptly and accurately.

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Aisha Mahmood

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wait I thought SSI had a $2000 asset limit too? does that still apply if parents are separated?

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Ethan Clark

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When i moved from AZ to NM with my disabled daughter they were actually really helpful at the ssa office. Just make sure u bring ALL the paperwork - lease for new place, any seperation papers, work stubs, everything! They reduced her payment when i started working but didnt stop it completely.

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NebulaNinja

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That's good to hear! Did you have to make an appointment with the local office in your new state, or did you handle it through the original office before moving?

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AstroAce

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I recently helped my brother navigate SSI changes when he moved states with his disabled son. The most frustrating part was actually getting through to someone at Social Security to report all the changes! I spent hours on hold and got disconnected multiple times. Finally found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got us through to an agent in under 5 minutes. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU showing how it works. Totally worth it when you have complex changes to report like yours - moving states, household composition changes, and new income situations all at once. My advice is to get everything documented before the call - exact move date, new address, your husband's contribution amount, and your expected work income. SSA will recalculate the SSI payment with all these factors.

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NebulaNinja

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Thanks for the tip! I've heard the hold times can be ridiculous. I'll check out that service since I'll definitely need to speak with someone directly about all these changes.

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My sons on SSI to and when we moved they adjusted his payment amount. Each state has different payment amounts for SSI so it might go up or down depending on georgia's rates. The income thing is super confusing but they do count child support as income to your kid. theres also resource limits of $2000 for your kid dont forget about that part.

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Mateo Sanchez

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You're right about the state differences. Georgia doesn't have a state supplement for SSI like some other states do. So the federal payment rate would apply, which is $943/month for 2025 for an eligible child (assuming no countable income).

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NebulaNinja

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Thank you all so much for the helpful responses. I'm going to make a list of everything I need to report and make sure I have documentation ready. I'm a bit worried now about how my husband's financial support will impact things since it's not formal child support yet. It sounds like I need to be really careful about tracking all money he sends us. One more question - does anyone know how quickly the payment amount changes after I report everything? Will they adjust it for the next payment or is there a lag?

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Luca Russo

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There's typically a processing lag. Changes reported today usually affect the payment two months later. For example, if you report changes in March, your May payment would reflect the new calculation. That's why prompt reporting is essential - to avoid potential overpayments that would need to be repaid later.

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Aisha Mahmood

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has anyone moved from texas to georgia specifically??? my cousin did this last year and theres no state supplement in georgia so the payment went down by like $70/month just fyi

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Ethan Clark

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texas dosent have a state supplement for SSI either so the payment should stay the same federal amount

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Nia Wilson

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I just remembered something important! If you're moving states make SURE you research medicaid too! SSI usually comes with medicaid but each state runs it differently and you don't want ANY gaps in coverage for your son!!

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NebulaNinja

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Oh that's a really good point I hadn't even thought about! I'll need to look into Georgia's Medicaid program right away. My son has several specialists and ongoing treatments we can't interrupt.

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CosmicCadet

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I've been through something similar with my daughter's SSI when we had family changes. A few additional things to keep in mind: 1. **Document everything** - Keep detailed records of all money your husband sends, even if it's informal support. SSA will ask for specifics during reviews. 2. **Consider timing** - Since you just started receiving benefits last month, you might want to get through at least one full review period before making major changes. This could help establish a baseline. 3. **Georgia-specific resources** - Contact Georgia's Department of Human Services early to understand their Medicaid application process and any state-specific disability services your son might qualify for. 4. **School considerations** - Don't forget to research special education services in your new Georgia district. Continuity of educational support is just as important as the financial benefits. The income calculations can be complex, but generally speaking, if your husband's support plus your part-time earnings stay reasonable, your son should continue receiving some SSI benefit. The key is being proactive and transparent with all reporting. Good luck with your move - it sounds like you're being very thoughtful about planning this transition!

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