I lost my SSI worth $300 a month at the age of 93 after one phone call – how to avoid it happening to you

A 93-YEAR-OLD lost his supplemental security income (SSI) after one phone call from the Social Security office - leaving him $300 a month out of pocket.

Ebrahim Safapay was also ordered to repay $9,000 worth of benefits, reports the San Francisco Chronicle.

The issues reportedly began when the Social Security Adminsitration (SSA) called Ebrahim in the spring, asking him how he paid his $1,305 rent on $900 of income.

Ebrahim, who is hard of hearing and speaks little English, wasn't his best advocate and said his daughter Mariam helped him pay it in her role as a tax accountant.

To the SSA, this meant he had a source of income that he hadn't told it about.

Within two weeks, the office said it had been overpaying him and that he owed $9,000. It also revoked his SSI of about $300 a month.

Meanwhile, Mariam, who’s nearing 70, couldn’t afford to pay hundreds of dollars extra for Ebrahim's apartment near Sausalito and Marin City in California.

Other options looked unpromising too, but that's when the Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund came to the rescue.

It's covering two months of Ebrahim’s rent during Mariam's appeal to the SSA.

Mariam told the San Francisco Chronicle: “If it wasn’t for me, he’d be homeless.”

Ebrahim used to have savings, but his wife’s medical expenses leading up to her death in 2015 eroded them.

Who's eligible for SSI?

Supplemental security income, which is run by the SSA, is designed to help over-65's, blind and disabled people, who have little or no income.

Whether you can get it depends on your income and the things you own.

Generally, the more income you have, the less your SSI benefit will be.

To qualify, individuals can't have more than $2,000 in assets, while couples can have up to $3,000.

Social Security doesn't count everything you own when deciding whether you have too many assets. The below things are usually excluded:

• The home and land where you live
• Life insurance policies with a face value of $1,500 or less
• Your car (usually)
• Burial plots for you and members of your immediate family
• Up to $1,500 in burial funds for you and up to $1,500 in burial funds for your spouse

The income limit is more complicated, with the first $20 of monthly income, food stamps and most energy assistance not counted.

You must also live in the US and be a US citizen or national to be able to claim.

You can check if you qualify by using the SSA eligibility tool.

How to avoid a sudden cut-off in benefits

If you're worried about suddenly losing your benefits at no notice, make sure to keep the SSA updated about any change in circumstance.

If you start getting income, be aware that this may mean you're not eligible anymore.

However, whether Ebrahim's benefits should've been revoked is yet to be determined during the appeal.

You can report your change online on the SSA website or by calling toll-free at 1-800-772-1213.

If you're deaf or hearing-impaired call TTY 1-800-325-0778.

You can also choose to mail the information to your local Social Security office or bring it in person if you prefer.

We explain how much you'll get in SSI in 2022 per month and per year.

We also round up 11 big-money changes in January - including a Social Security payment boost.