Just got off the phone with Social Security and found out that I likely don't qualify for my infant daughter's SSI disability support because I make $400/month more than the supposed maximum allowed.

My daughter has a congenital heart defect, chromosomal disorder and several other health issues to work through

She has been hospitalized since birth and has been on breathing support for most of her first 8 months of life,

Even though I made all the "right" decisions for our family's safety and financial security:

Scrimped and saved to have a good emergency fund

Got a secure union job that fights for regular pay raises and COLA adjustments

Don't own a car, bike and bus for all travel

The absolute cheapest rent I can find for an acceptable one-bedroom apartment

Live in a city with access to a children's hospital for my daughter's multiple health needs and specialists she will need for the rest of her life

Piled on to the fact that my wife and I have no family financial support because I grew up out of extreme poverty and my wife is an immigrant with her whole family also impoverished.

Any Hexbears experienced with this process? Was told I could possibly appeal after getting a probable rejection letter in the mail.

        • BGDelirium [he/him]
          hexagon
          ·
          2 years ago

          That was the thing. The interviewer didn't even ask about a medical history for my daughter. Just the boilerplate questions about being disabled or blind.

          With all of her various ailments, she will likely meet whatever the definition of disabled is [as well as having some vision issues in one eye], but we are still in the observation, diagnosis, and recovery stages at the hospital.

          I think it being a phone interview versus in-person hurt as well.