Common Questions About General Assistance and SSI
by: Human Services Department
If I am receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI), can I receive Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits?
No. A person getting SSI is not allowed to get SSD or New Mexico Works (NMW).
If I have been turned down by SSI, can I get General Assistance (GA)?
In order to get General Assistance (GA) you would have to have been turned down by Supplemental Security Income (SSI) because they felt your injury wasn't bad enough.
You would have to make your application within six months after being turned down by SSI.
What happens if I apply for general assistance and I am accepted, and then I apply and am accepted by SSI? Can I keep the money I received while I was being paid by both?
No. When you apply for general assistance you must sign an agreement that says you must repay general assistance from you first SSI payments.
How much can general assistance take from my first SSI payments?
General assistance will take back the amount it paid you from the amount SSI paid you on each month you were paid by both. They cannot take more than SSI is paying your each month.
Does SSI pay more than general assistance?
Yes. SSI pays more than GA.
What happens to what's left after GA takes back its payment?
You receive the balance of the payment within ten days after the date the Human Services Department receives it from Social Security.
Last Reviewed On: 06/04/04
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