WSR 01-19-024

PERMANENT RULES

DEPARTMENT OF

SOCIAL AND HEALTH SERVICES
(Economic Services Administration)

[ Filed September 12, 2001, 3:46 p.m. , effective November 1, 2001 ]

Date of Adoption: September 11, 2001.

Purpose: WAC 388-478-0055 SSI standards. The standards were updated June 28, 2001, by emergency rule, WSR 01-14-031. This rule making is necessary to permanently adopt these rules. This rule is being amended to correct the federal SSI benefit levels. The federal Department of Labor erred in their computation of the Consumer Price Index for the year 2000. That resulted in the Social Security Administration erring in their computation of the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for the SSI program.

Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 388-478-0055.

Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 74.08.090, 74.04.057.

Adopted under notice filed as WSR 01-16-086 on July 25, 2001.

Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.
Effective Date of Rule: November 1, 2001.

September 11, 2001

Brian H. Lindgren, Manager

Rules and Policies Assistance Unit

2955.1
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 01-08-015, filed 3/23/01, effective 5/1/01)

WAC 388-478-0055   SSI payment standards for eligible recipients.   (1) Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a cash assistance program for needy individuals and couples who meet federal disability guidelines as aged, blind or disabled. Since the SSI program began in January 1974, the state of Washington has added to the federal benefit level with state funds, known as the SSI state supplement. If you are found eligible for SSI, you will receive cash assistance based on the combined federal and state supplement benefit levels, minus countable income. An essential person is someone who lives with you and provides care and personal services that enable you to live in either your own home or the home of the essential person.

(2) ((Effective, January 1, 2001,)) The federal, state and combined benefit levels for an eligible individual and couple are:

(a) If you are living alone in area 1: King, Pierce, Snohomish, Thurston, and Kitsap Counties.


LIVING ALONE - In own household or alternate care, except nursing homes or medical institutions

Federal Benefit Level

State Supplement Benefit Level

Combined Federal/State Benefit Level
Individual $ ((530.00)) 531.00 $ 25.90 $ ((555.90)) 556.90
Individual with:

One essential person

 $ ((796.00)) 797.00 $ 19.90 $ ((815.90)) 816.90
Individual with:

Multiple essential persons

 $((530)) 531 for the eligible individual plus $((257)) 266 for each essential person (no state supplement)
Individual with an ineligible spouse $ ((530.00)) 531.00 $ 166.10 $ ((696.10)) 697.10
Couple $ 796.00 $ 19.90 $ 815.90
Couple with one or more essential persons $796 for eligible couple plus $((257)) 266 for each essential person (no state supplement)

(b) If you are living alone in area 2: All other counties.


LIVING ALONE - In own household or alternate care, except nursing homes or medical institutions

Federal Benefit Level

State Supplement Benefit Level

Combined Federal/State Benefit Level
Individual $ ((530.00)) 531.00 $ 5.45 $ ((535.45)) 536.45
Individual with:

One essential person

 $ ((796.00)) 797.00 $ 0.00 $ ((796.00)) 797.00
Individual with:

Multiple essential persons

 $((530)) 531 for the eligible individual plus $((257)) 266 for each essential person (no state supplement)
Individual with an ineligible spouse $ ((530.00)) 531.00 $ 136.15 $ ((666.15)) 667.15
Couple $ 796.00 $ 0.00 $ 796.00
Couple with one or more essential persons $796 for eligible couple plus $((257)) 266 for each essential person (no state supplement)

(c) If you are in shared living in either Area 1 or 2.


SHARED LIVING - In the home of another person Federal Benefit Level State Supplement Benefit Level Combined Federal/State Benefit Level
Individual $ ((353.34)) 354.00 $ 3.71 $ ((357.05)) 357.71
Individual with:

One essential person

 $ ((530.00)) 531.34 $ 4.20 $ ((534.20)) 535.54
Individual with:

Multiple essential persons

 $((353.34)) 354.00 for the eligible individual plus $((170.66)) 177.00 for each essential person (no state supplement)
Individual with an ineligible spouse $ ((353.24)) 354.00 $ 101.66 $ ((455.00)) 455.66
Couple $ 530.67 $ 4.20 $ 534.87
Couple with one or more essential persons $530.67 for eligible couple plus $((170.66)) 177.00 for each essential person (no state supplement)

(d) If you are residing in a medical institution: Area 1 and 2.


MEDICAL INSTITUTION Federal Benefit Level State Supplement Benefit Level Combined Benefit Level
Individual $ 30.00 $ 11.62 $ 41.62

(e) Mandatory income level (MIL) for grandfathered claimant. You are "grandfathered" if you qualified for assistance from the state as aged, blind, or disabled, were converted from the state to federal disability assistance under SSI in January 1974, and have remained continuously eligible for SSI since that date.

If you are a MIL client, your combined federal/state SSI benefit level is the higher of the following:

(i) The state assistance standard you received in December 1973, except if you resided in a medical institution at the time of conversion, plus the federal cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) since then; or

(ii) The current standard.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090, 74.04.057. 01-08-015, 388-478-0055, filed 3/23/01, effective 5/1/01. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090. 00-20-054, 388-478-0055, filed 9/29/00, effective 11/1/00. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090 and 74.04.057. 00-11-130, 388-478-0055, filed 5/22/00, effective 7/1/00; 99-18-063, 388-478-0055, filed 8/30/99, effective 10/1/99. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090 and 74.04.630. 99-04-103, 388-478-0055, filed 2/3/99, effective 3/6/99. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057 and 74.08.090. 98-16-044, 388-478-0055, filed 7/31/98, effective 9/1/98. Formerly WAC 388-511-1115.]

Washington State Code Reviser's Office