Question RE: PBS's "Country Boys".

[nine23]

If anybody is still awake...

I just finished watching Pt. 1 of "Country Boys" on Frontline. Excellent, very moving doc about two teenage boys growing up in the Appalachia of today. We were surprised just how much this piece affected us. Brilliant work.

One question: I'm Canadian. Can anybody explain to me what an "SSI" cheque/payment/allowance is, and how it relates to teens in special learning circumstances/finishing high school? I suspect the "SS" part may have something to do with Social Security, but I'm probably way off base. The PBS website doesn't exactly explain it for us ignorant outsiders (and we missed the first five minutes of the doc, which may have cleared it for viewers at the onset).

Thanx in advance.

[bettyellen]

1. if they had a deceased parent, they may get social security payments-

i believe that was the case. and they had to stay in school to keep getting it, right?
i read about it, sorriy i missed it.

[nine23]

3. Both teens had both of their parents...

...but one of the kid's father was a complete, hopeless alcoholic, to the point he was on disability and rendered (I assume) unemployable. The entire town (and school officials) knew this, so the fact the kid's dad was so far gone probably 'qualified' (for lack of a better term). So you could be right. Thanx for the info.

By the way, the fact that this kid's dad freely participated (on camera) in the doc made it all the more poignant.

Thanx again.

[bettyellen]

2. if they have a learning disability they maybe eligible for more/ extended

benefits, but SSI is part of social security. Widows and kids under (i think) 18 get them if a parent who worked dies. There are other benefits for disabled people as well, although the claims for that are sometimes difficult to get approved for.

[salvorhardin]

4. Supplemental Security Income

It's a program administered by the Social Security Administration but is not funded through Social Security taxes. It was designed to help those people whether elderly or disabled to pay for basic food, clothing and shelter. It's different from what most people think of as "welfare" (Temporary Assistance For Needy Families -- TANF) but serves some of the same purposes.

Like most U.S. programs, the requirements are complex.
http://www.ssa.gov/notices/supplemental-security-income/text-eligibility-ussi.htm

One of the most restrictive requirements is the limit on resources. To remain eligible, recipients must have total resources under $2,000 ($3,000 for two SSI eligible people living together). They don't count your home and the household goods, one car (though there may be an upper value on that -- not sure), burial plots, any retroactive SSI or Social Security benefits due to you, and some other minor items.