It might. A move into a nursing home may affect your eligibility depending on the type of benefit you receive and the type of nursing home you move into. Specifically, people who draw Supplemental Security Income (SSI) may be affected. Because SSI is a needs based program, receipt of certain kinds of support can make you ineligible for help. A common issue occurs when individuals are moved into nursing homes run or funded by state or local governments. Under SSI’s rules receipt of care in these facilities makes you ineligible to receive a check while you are there.
Care through a private nursing home typically does not disqualify you from receiving SSI.
Tips:
If you or a loved one is about to move into a nursing home and are worried about the possible effect that it could have on the receipt of SSI benefits, you need to discuss the matter with the nursing home staff before going in. It is often tricky to determine which organizations will be considered a state institution by the Social Security Administration. However, this is a very common issue for nursing home staff. They should be able to tell you on the front end if their group will be considered a public institution that disqualifies the recipient from continuing SSI payments.
You should notify the local Social Security office of a change of address as soon as you have moved into or out of a nursing home.
Also, be aware that if you leave the nursing home, you may be re-entitled to receipt of a check after you leave. If you were ineligible for a check for under 11 months or less, then you simply need to notify the local office that you are no longer living in a state nursing home and they can typically restart your check. Unfortunately, if you have gone 12 months without a check, you will likely have to go through the disability application process all over again.
