Refugees at Risk for Losing Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
We at SEARAC are hearing more and more from community members about the
impact of the loss of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for many elderly
and disabled refugees in the United States.
- Elderly and disabled refugees are at risk for losing their Supplemental
Security Income benefit due to a provision in the 1996 welfare law that
limits their SSI eligibility to their first seven years in the United
States unless they are able to become naturalized citizens.
- Persons receiving Supplemental Security Income as opposed to Social
Security Income are the most vulnerable in our communities, people too
elderly to work or people with disabilities that prevent them from working.
Refugees at risk for losing their benefits are ones who:
- Came to the United States after 1996.
- Have lived in the United States for seven years.
- Were unable to naturalize in those seven years.
All of the refugees and other humanitarian immigrants who could lose SSI as
a result of this provision are disabled or elderly. Many are unable to
naturalize within seven-years, often for reasons beyond their control. SSI
benefits are the sole source of income for many refugees and other
humanitarian immigrants who receive SSI. Those losing SSI benefits due to
the seven-year limit are elderly or individuals with disabilities,
generally are unable to work, and rarely qualify for Social Security or
other retirement benefits. If their SSI and Medicaid benefits are
terminated, many will face extreme hardships and likely destitution.
Currently there are bills in both the House of Representatives (HR 4035)
and the U.S. Senate (S. 2623) to extend the time limit for refugees who are
at risk for being cut off of SSI. Both bills would extend SSI eligibility
for refugees for two additional years. Even with the support of President
Bush, BOTH PIECES OF LEGISLATION HAVE YET TO BE PASSED.
SEARAC needs your support to address this important issue. Please fill out
the short survey that we are asking community organizations to complete to
inform us of the scope of the impact of this policy on the elderly and
disabled in our community.
Reference Links of SSI cut-off Program
- SSI Benefits Eligibility & Cut-off Dimension
- National Immigration Law Center
Number of 7-year SSI Non-citizens Receiving Benefits in December 2003, by Estimated Year of Suspension of SSI benefits, Type of Non-citizen, State, and Region of Origin.
- Office of Refugee Resettlement, Administration for Children & Families
- Urban Institute
January 01, 1997, authors: Cori E. Uccello, L. Jerome Gallagher
- Center on Budget & Policy Priorities
- The Impact of the Seven-Year Limit on Refugees'
Eligibility for Supplemental Security Income, By Shawn Fremstad
- The President's Proposal to Extend SSI Eligibility for
Refugees and other Humanitarian Immigrants, By Shawn Fremstad
- Replacement of the Stated-Funded Programs
- The Refugee Situations about SSI cut-off
- SSI Extension Issue
- THOMAS home page
the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Extension for Disabled and Elderly Refugees Act, recently introduced in the Senate with bi-partisan support by Senator Herbert Kohl of Wisconsin (S. 2623), and of companion legislation introduced in March in the House of Representatives by Representative Benjamin Cardin of Maryland (HR 4035).
- Immigration and Refugee Services of America (IRSA)
IRSA Urges Enactment of SSI Extension for Disabled and Elderly Refugees Act - for your wide circulation
- Others
|
