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Elizabeth Warren has just announced her new plan for Protecting the Rights & Equality of People with Disabilities. It's a phenomenal plan and I'd very much like to tell you what it means to me: lovehttps://ewar.ren/disability-rights …
Today, Elizabeth Warren promises that when she's president, she will fight to tear down the barriers that keep disabled Americans — including me — from marrying.
Elizabeth, from both @cosetthetable & me, thank you.https://twitter.com/mattbc/status/1189311837990469632?s=20 …
As someone who has struggled with debilitating chronic illness since childhood, I've relied on Supplemental Security Income (SSI), 1 of 2 programs that make up @SocialSecurity's disability safety net. (The other is SSDI.)
If I marry my love, I'd lose SSIhttps://twitter.com/mattbc/status/1189313318508470272?s=20 …
SSI is "means-tested." If an individual has more than $2,000 in countable resources, they're disqualified from SSI. For a married couple that limit is $3,000.https://twitter.com/mattbc/status/1191502271831576577?s=20 …
The resource limit traps disabled people in poverty and prevents us from marrying anyone who isn't also living in poverty on pain of losing the safety net we rely on in order to buy food, go to doctor's appointments, pay rent...https://twitter.com/mattbc/status/1191506169707319298?s=20 …
President Warren will fight to eliminate the cruel and unjust SSI asset cap. She'll also fight to eliminate the explicit marriage penalty (right now, if two SSI recipients marry each other, their benefits are cut by 25%)
President Warren will fight to raise SSI to match the federal poverty level. Right now, under current law, the maximum that SSI currently provides a disabled beneficiary is $3,082 per year LESS THAN the federal poverty level.
She'll also update the deeming rules & eliminate "in-kind support and maintenance" rules. And she'd update the income disregards that haven't been updated in decades. She'd expand SSI eligibility to territories like Puerto Rico.
Under current law, if an SSI recipient is in a medical facility (e.g. hospital) throughout a month, their SSI benefit can be reduced to $30. If an SSI recipient spends more than 6 months in emergency homeless shelter, their SSI benefit is canceled. But not under President Warren
In other words, Elizabeth Warren would fight to transform SSI from a punishing sub-poverty program with a cruel labyrinth of byzantine rules into a meaningful & dignified safety net for disabled Americans. And she'd allow me to marry the great love of my life – that is:pic.twitter.com/yYmph3d0ee
I'm typing this thread through tears. Please understand that SSI beneficiaries, as a constituency? We aren't politically powerful by any traditional measure. We are, by definition, impoverished. Far too many are just trying to survive, barely hanging on.
The average payment to a disabled SSI beneficiary is about $587. Imagine trying to survive on $587 per month. By matching FPL, eliminating the pernicious "in-kind support" rules, and updating the deeming rules? The average benefit would be much closer to $1040 per month.
And we could marry.
I could marry @cosetthetable.
This amazing person who has always, always, always been by my side.https://twitter.com/mattbc/status/1189314725261262850?s=20 …
I consulted with @ewarren's @TeamWarren on this plan.
I am incredibly proud of Senator Warren, her policy team, and @mollytwonames.
I believe now more than ever that we can win. And I'm going to do everything I can between now and election day to make sure that happens.
Today, @ewarren unveiled her plan for Protecting the Rights & Equality of People with Disabilities – a plan that would deliver big structural change.
And today, I am proud to endorse Elizabeth Warren for President of the United States.pic.twitter.com/dsGH1HD1f5
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