Q: So I get Social Security SSI and Medicaid, should I accept a 9,450.00 check will I loose benefits or be cut off
A:
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a needs-based program and your countable resources must not be worth more than $2,000 for an individual or $3,000 for a couple. If the value of your countable resources is over the allowable limit at the beginning of the month, you cannot receive SSI for that month. For general information about resources see https://www.ssa.gov/ssi/spotlights/spot-resources.htm. However, you can accept the check if you apply the funds in a ways that is not countable resources. See my suggestions below.
There are several things that do not count toward the resource limit such as the home you live in and the land it is on; a vehicle for personal transportation; and household goods.
You can also have up to $100,000 of funds in an Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) account, if you qualify. You would have had to be found eligible for SSI based on disability or blindness that began before age 26. See https://www.ssa.gov/ssi/spotlights/spot-able.html.
As an alternative, you could set up a special needs trust that would not count as a resource. For more information, see https://www.ssa.gov/ssi/spotlights/spot-trusts.htm.
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