WSR 00-20-054

PERMANENT RULES

DEPARTMENT OF

SOCIAL AND HEALTH SERVICES
(Economic Services Administration)

[ Filed September 29, 2000, 3:27 p.m. , effective November 1, 2000 ]

Date of Adoption: September 29, 2000.

Purpose: To reduce SSI state supplement amounts to hold total state spending for SSI state supplements to levels mandated by the Washington state legislature. The state supplement is being lowered in the amount of $4.10 per month for the months of November and December 2000 only, for individuals living alone.

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

Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 74.08.090.

Adopted under notice filed as WSR 00-17-155 on August 22, 2000.

Changes Other than Editing from Proposed to Adopted Version: In subsection (2) added language "through December 31, 2000" to clarify the end date.

Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.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, 2000.

September 29, 2000

Marie Myerchin-Redifer, Manager

Rules and Policies Assistance Unit

2802.2
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 00-11-130, filed 5/22/00, effective 7/1/00)

WAC 388-478-0055
SSI standards.

(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 supplemented the federal benefit level with state funds, known as the SSI state supplement.      Persons found eligible for SSI receive cash assistance based on the combined federal and state supplement benefit levels, minus countable income.

     (2) Effective ((January 1)) November 1 through December 31, 2000, the federal, state and combined benefit levels for an eligible individual and couple are:

     (a) Living alone area 1: King, Pierce, Snohomish, Thurston, and Kitsap Counties.


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

Federal Benefit Level

State Supplement Benefit Level

Combined Federal/State Benefit Level

Individual $ 512.00 $ ((27.00))

22.90

$ ((539.00))

534.90

Individual with:

One essential person

$ 769.00 $ 21.00 $ 790.00
Individual with:

Multiple essential persons

$512 for the eligible individual plus $257 for each essential person (no state supplement)
Individual with an ineligible spouse $ 512.00 $ 167.20 $ 679.20
Couple $ 769.00 $ 21.00 $ 790.00
Couple with one or more essential persons $ 769 for eligible couple plus $257 for each essential person (no state supplement)

     (b) Living alone area 2: All other counties.


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

Federal Benefit Level

State Supplement Benefit Level

Combined Federal/State Benefit Level

Individual $ 512.00 $ ((6.55))

2.45

$ ((518.55))

514.45

Individual with:

One essential person

$ 769.00 $ 0.00 $ 769.00
Individual with:

Multiple essential persons

$512 for the eligible individual plus $257 for each essential person (no state supplement)
Individual with an ineligible spouse $ 512.00 $ 137.25 $ 649.25
Couple $ 769.00 $ 0.00 $ 769.00
Couple with one or more essential persons $ 769 for eligible couple plus $257 for each essential person (no state supplement)

     (c) Shared living for both Area 1 and 2.


SHARED LIVING Federal Benefit Level State Supplement Benefit Level Combined Federal/State Benefit Level
Individual $ 341.34 $ 4.81 $ 346.15
Individual with:

One essential person

$ 512.00 $ 5.30 $ 517.30
Individual with:

Multiple essential persons

$341.34 for the eligible individual plus $170.67 for each essential person (no state supplement)
Individual with an ineligible spouse $ 341.34 $ 102.76 $ 444.10
Couple $ 512.67 $ 5.30 $ 517.97
Couple with one or more essential persons $512.67 for eligible couple plus $170.67 for each essential person (no state supplement)

     (d) 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. "Grandfathered" refers to a person who qualified for assistance from the state as aged, blind, or disabled, was converted from the state to federal disability assistance under SSI in January 1974, and has remained continuously eligible for SSI since that date.

     The combined federal/state SSI benefit level for MIL clients is the higher of the following:

     (i) The state assistance standard they received in December 1973, except for those converted in a "D" living arrangement (residing 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 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.]

Reviser's note: RCW 34.05.395 requires the use of underlining and deletion marks to indicate amendments to existing rules. The rule published above varies from its predecessor in certain respects not indicated by the use of these markings.

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