All refugees who are 65 years of age or older, blind, or severely disabled, must be referred to the Social Security Administration to apply for SSI. If subsequently approved for SSI and the refugee receives a public assistance payment in the same month, attempt to recover the assistance payment.
Refugees approved for SSI are treated the same as SSI recipients in an Temporary Assistance household; that is, remove their income and expenses from the budget, and under no circumstances consider their income in determining need for the rest of the household. If the refugee approved for SSI is the only eligible person in the household, discontinue the cash case, but the refugee may be eligible for Medical Assistance (MA), as they are a qualified alien.