426-7 CONVERTING INTERIM ASSISTANCE

426-7 CONVERTING INTERIM ASSISTANCE TO REGULAR ADULT PUBLIC ASSISTANCE

Interim Assistance payments end when Social Security makes its final SSI eligibility decision and notifies the applicant.

Refer to EIS Procedure 2012-1 for instructions regarding converting IA to APA .

426-7 A. ELIGIBLE FOR SSI - CLIENT HAS SIGNED IAR AUTHORIZATION

If the client is found eligible for SSI , and has signed an IAR authorization, eligibility for Interim Assistance ends the month that SSA makes the SSI eligibility decision. This will normally be the same month that SSA sends the initial SSI payment to the Claims Unit. Regular APA benefits are approved beginning the first day of the month after SSA notifies the individual that he or she is eligible for SSI .

If, for some reason, the IA case cannot be converted to regular APA the month following the SSI decision, the case worker may convert the case beginning with the following month. This situation may occur when IA benefits are issued before the case worker learns of the SSI decision. The individual is still considered eligible for regular APA benefits beginning with the month following the SSI decision, and if otherwise eligible, may receive APA and Medicaid benefits for the months following the SSI decision.

426-7 B. ELIGIBLE FOR SSA RSDI BENEFITS - NOT ELIGIBLE FOR SSI

If, after going through the SSI application process, the client is eligible for Social Security Retirement, Survivor, or Disability Insurance benefits but not for SSI benefits, APA and Medicaid eligibility may exist depending upon the type and amount of the SSA benefit and other financial and non-financial APA eligibility criteria. The case worker will make an eligibility decision based on the eligibility criteria of the APA program.

426-7 C. NOT ELIGIBLE FOR SSI SOLELY BECAUSE OF EXCESS INCOME

If SSI finds the client ineligible solely because of excess income, APA eligibility may exist. The caseworker will make an eligibility decision based on the eligibility criteria of the APA program. Medicaid eligibility may exist if Medicaid eligibility requirements are met. See ADLTC MS 530 .

Note: If the applicant is applying for APA on the basis of blindness or disability, and SSA has not made a blindness or disability determination, the APA application must be pended for a state-only blindness or disability decision from the Disability Determination Service ( DDS ) before APA eligibility can be determined. The individual is not eligible for IA benefits while waiting for a state-only DDS decision. (See section 425-3C. )

426-7 D. NOT ELIGIBLE FOR SSI DUE TO NOT MEETING DISABILITY CRITERIA

IA recipients should not have their IA benefits terminated if their SSI claim is denied for not meeting disability criteria. IA recipients must be given 30 days to provide verification that they are appealing their SSI denial. If they provide verification that they have appealed the SSI decisions, IA benefits should continue during the appeal process described in APA MS 426-5 .

IA applicants are not pended for proof of appeal. As applicants, their APA and Medicaid application should be denied if SSI denies their claim for not meeting disability criteria.

426-7 E. SSA APPROVES SSI BEFORE MEDICAL REVIEWER APPROVES INTERIM ASSISTANCE

If SSA determines that the applicant is disabled before the Medical Reviewer's Interim Assistance ( IA ) decision is received, do not issue IA back to the date the IAR was signed. Since IA is not approved in this situations, the applicant has no IAR obligation.

The APA benefit start date is the first day of the month after SSA awards SSI or SSDS benefits, or the first day of the month after DDS notifies DPA that the applicant is disabled. The client would not be issued any IA payments.