The Social Security Administration has been fighting to reduce poverty and help homeless people to avail benefits in the United States for many years now. Recently, SSA went up a notch in their efforts to reduce homelessness among veterans and seniors. Carolyn W. Colvin, the Acting Commissioner, declared the Social Security Administration as the the most successful anti-poverty program to help vulnerable populations in United States history.
“Social Security plays a key role in reducing homelessness, and our benefit payments help people to secure and maintain stable housing,” Acting Commissioner Colvin said. “Social Security is the most successful anti-poverty program in our country’s history and collaborates with other federal, state and local agencies to ensure that veterans, people who are disabled, have lost a loved one, or are retiring have access to our benefits and services.”
Collaborative Efforts
The SSA is working in collaboration with other state, federal, and local agencies to make sure that people who have lost a loved one, are disabled, retiring, or veterans can easily access their services and benefits. The state and federal officials conducted meetings earlier this year to discuss outreach programs and initiatives for eliminating homelessness among vulnerable populations at a forum known as Ending Homelessness: Lessons Learned from the Commonwealth of Virginia.
In 2015, Virginia achieved the impossible: it eliminated homelessness among veterans. Following Virginia’s example, many state and federal agencies are trying to replicate the practices to attain success. Social Security has developed several key strategies in order to connect homeless seniors and veterans to Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.
The Role of SOAR
With SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access and Recovery (SOAR) initiative, the SSA has been receiving more and more disability applications. Since these applications are complete because they are filled with the help of an agency representative, their approval rate is quite high. This is especially helpful for homeless people who face great difficulty in getting medical records and documenting their cases.
Funded by the SAMHSA, SOAR is a national project initiated to provide greater access to SSDI and SSI benefits for eligible adults. They include individuals who are homeless or at the risk of becoming homeless and have some kind of medical impairment, mental illness, and/or substance use disorder.
In a report by Arloc Sherman and Kathleen Romig of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, it has been found that Social Security benefits have helped more than 22 million Americans out of poverty. This figure continues to soar by the passing day, and it is safe to say that the SSA’s efforts are bearing fruit.
If you are eligible for availing Social Security disability benefits, but having difficulty in filing for it or your application has been denied, you should consult your case with a reliable and experienced social security disability attorney. Harold W. Conick & Associates Ltd has been successfully representing clients for over 30 years to get their rightful benefits. Contact us today at (800) 608-8881 to schedule a consultation with our Social Security disability attorney.
