Rumor: Refugees are getting larger SSI payments than American citizens
Posted by Ann Corcoran on May 14, 2009
We’re launching a new category this morning, obviously titled “Rumors.” One of the most important reforms the Refugee Resettlement industry must make is to promote transparency (where have I heard that word before?) in how the program operates. The result of the present obvious strategy of keeping the public in the dark about the program is that “rumors” get a life of their own. We want to find the facts!
The “rumor” of the day is that the Obama Stimulus plan gives refugees larger Supplemental Security Income (SSI) increases than American citizens are receiving.
True or false? Would a reader who knows the answer please give us the facts.
8 Responses to “Rumor: Refugees are getting larger SSI payments than American citizens”
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CGeeS said
A basic google search would have done the trick for you Ann if you had bothered to do it before posting this:
1. The “claim that immigrants and refugees get more generous Social Security, SSI and Medicaid benefits than ordinary citizens is completely wrong.”
http://www.factcheck.org/2009/04/social-security-for-immigrants-and-refugees/
2. What is SSI and who is eligible: http://www.ssa.gov/ssi/text-eligibility-ussi.htm
Richard said
Does anyone really know what is going on here?
bearinggifts said
There is a persistent rumor out there according to which refugees who start businesses are exempt from taxes for a period of time. the tax-free time is usually stated as 3 years.
Sometimes this rumor has it that they pay no taxes of any type (eg., no income taxes, if employed) for a period of time. I kind of doubt this version of the rumor, but was wondering about the business tax exemption. It really sounds like something the corrupt SBA would do.
Rumor: Reader says some refugees let off the hook on repaying their airfare loans « Refugee Resettlement Watch said
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TonyLEE said
here’s another rumor. We know the Volags chase down the refugees to recover the interest-free loans made for airfare to the U.S. (must inculcate responsibility, you see).
We know the Volags pocket a whopping 25% of the funds they collect.
I have seen almost comical threatening legal letters sent to people who are illiterate. In these letters they are told their credit will be wrecked, they will be unable to buy a house, etc, etc.
Here is the rumor: those who arrived in the 80′s and 90′s did not pay back their loans and did not suffer any consequences.
Ironically, the Volags today are hounding truly poor and oppressed refugees for their last crumbs while the refugees who arrived in the 80′s and early 90′s who were not really refugees at all – many were basically middle class, educated Soviet Jews, never paid back the air loans. They were told they didn’t have to.
acorcoran said
Thanks Tony Lee, I’ll post this as a separate post shortly or in the morning. And, we can see if we get anyone who can provide the answer.
acorcoran said
I see it was a one-time hand-out from the Obama Administration to everyone on SSI, whether they were dead or alive! (see link below)
So, if dead people are getting $250, it seems only reasonable that living refugees would get $300. I wonder do dead refugees get $300?
By the way, we have a large readership among those in the refugee industry and no one has come forward to say this isn’t true, so I guess we will have to mark this rumor TRUE!
Go ahead one and all and spread the word that refugees are getting larger stimulus checks then Americans.
I think I’m going to like this rumor category!
http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/your_money/consumer/090514_Dead_People_Get_Stimulus_Checks
tennresident said
to be more specific: everyone on social security and everyone on SSI (basically, this is welfare for the elderly or disabled) got a $250.00 one-time deposit from the federal government as part of the stimulus plan.
the rumor is that refugees on SSI (a significant number) got $300, not $250.