Medicaid will take my mom's Social Security Survivor Benefits. Should she bother to apply for them?

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wavemaster Asked April 2022

Medicaid will take my mom's Social Security Survivor Benefits. Should she bother to apply for them?

My mom's husband died last December. She's on a Washington State Medicaid program, including the COPES program for in-home caregivers for a few hours each weekday. Her Social Security benefit is $1,331/month but she's could apply to increase that to $1,737/month due to survivorship benefits.

However I called her COPES/Medicaid case manager and she said any Social Security increase would just be taken by Medicaid.

Is there any reason she should go for the increased benefits anyway?

Thanks!

Government Benefits Home Care Medicaid

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score 0 · Answer 1

Thanks for the answers everybody, but to clarify, when I said "taken by Medicaid", I meant that I was told whatever monthly Social Security increase she receives would bump up her required contribution for her in-home care by the same amount. So she wouldn't keep any net income increase, even though at $1737/month she would still be under the $2000/month for receiving benefits.

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score 0 · Answer 2

Does she own a home that might be subjected to a Medicaid lein for the money they have paid out after she passes? If so, the increased SS might decrease the eventual lein.

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Yes, she owns a home, so that makes sense that taking the extra money and paying a higher contribution for her care could reduce the lien on her home.

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score 1 · Answer 3

It isn't taken by Medicaid It is paying for her care.

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This is the correct answer.

(1)

score 3 · Answer 4

And by the way, the reported increase in income will not put her over the income level for COPES. And since the purpose of COPES is to keep her at home, and she needs her income to live, so why not increase her income? Sounds like a no-brainer to me. And if you think you got a weird answer when asking a question, try calling again to verify.

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score 5 · Answer 5

As a former Public Benefits Specialist worker in Washington state I would recommend that she take the higher benefit. Even if Medicaid did take it this would benefit the state by increasing the money coming to the state from the federal government. The rest of us taxpayers in WA would appreciate that.

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I can appreciate that, I like the idea of helping out my state this way. I'm planning on encouraging her to take the increase.

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score 1 · Answer 6

She is on homecare correct. Medicaid does not take SS with in home. The increase though may effect if she gets services may take her over the income limit. I think the caseworker misunderstood your question. If Mom is in a NH, I would think that Medicaid would require Mom take the increase which offsets her care.

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score 1 · Answer 7

I would make sure it wouldn't put her over the limit to receive the assistance she is getting now.

My mom got my dads and now she is not eligible for assistance.

Do the research yourself, don't trust some employee that probably only knows their job and minimally, at that.

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Medicaid will take my mom's Social Security Survivor Benefits. Should she bother to apply for them?

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