Interim Disability Assistance: Know Your Rights

You may be able to get IDA if all these things are true:

• You live in D.C.
• You are between 18 and 64 years old.
• You are very low income or have no income.
• You are permanently and totally disabled (based on Social Security Administration standards).
• You are waiting on a decision about SSI. This can be after your first application, a request for reconsideration, or a request for a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ).
• You are ineligible for TANF because no eligible child lives in your home.
• You are not eligible for another type of federally funded cash assistance, like TANF, SSDI, and Social Security Survivors benefits.

If you get approved for SSI, your IDA benefits will stop. If you get any back payments from SSI, the amount will be reduced to repay what you received in IDA.

• If you are denied SSI at an ALJ hearing and you appeal that decision, you will no longer be eligible for IDA.
• If you are denied SSI at an ALJ hearing and decide to file a new application for benefits, you may not be eligible for IDA until a year after the denial.

Yes. The law says the government has to help you in your language. Tell the agency you want help in your language.

Maybe. Because IDA is only for people likely to get SSI, you generally need to be a U.S. citizen or meet SSl's noncitizen eligibility rules.

Step 1: Get all the documents you need. Don't send the originals! Take a picture or make a copy.

• Proof that you live in D.C. (Examples include a D.C. driver's license or D.C. non-driver ID, current lease agreement, or a recent utility bill)
• Proof of Citizenship or Immigration Status (Examples include your birth certificate, a U.S. passport, or a Permanent Resident Card)
• Proof of your Social Security Number
• Proof that you applied for SSI. For documentation that you applied for SSI, you can log into your Social Security Administration (SSA) Account (also called a mySSA account) to download a pending application letter, get a copy of your application receipt from your local SSA office, or request a copy over the phone (800-772-1213).
• Proof of Disability, including a Medical Examination Report (available on the DHS website)

Step 2: Apply in one of five ways.

• Smartphone: Download the District Direct app and apply through your phone.
• Online: Apply at districtdirect.dc.gov.
• Fax: Fax the completed application to DHS ESA at (202) 671-4400.
• In person: Go to the H Street Service Center – 645 H Street NE, Washington, DC 20002.. (This option is not recommended, but if you do go in person, you should ask for a receipt of your application.)
• Mail: Get the application at dhs.dc.gov/page/apply-recertify-benefits and send it with copies of your documents to the H Street Service Center. (This option is not recommended, but if you do mail the application, you should keep proof that you mailed it in, such as a Certificate of Mailing).

Usually, the government has 60 days to process your IDA application, counting from the day after you applied. You'll get a notice telling you if your application was approved or denied. If you're approved, payment is subject to D.C. funding for the IDA program.

You will need to recertify for IDA every 12 months. At your recertification interview, DHS will re-check your residency, income, resources, and the status of your SSI claim. DHS is not allowed to request additional medical evidence at recertification.

You have the right to appeal. You need to appeal within 90 days of the notice that your IDA was denied, cut off, or reduced. There are three steps to appeal.

Step 1: Get the appeal form. Go to https://oah.dc.gov/node/154252 or call the Office of Administrative Hearings at (202) 442-9094.

Step 2: Fill out the appeal form.

Step 3: File the form in one of these ways:

• Email it to oah.filing@dc.gov.
• Bring it in person to the Office of -
  Administrative Hearings, 441 Fourth
  Street NW, Suite 450N, Washington,
  DC 20001. Keep a copy of the form.
• Mail it the address on the left. Keep a copy of the form. Write down the date you sent it. This option isn’t recommended.