The Korea Times reported on a rising concern over Korean-American elders traveling overseas. Recently, the Department of Social Security is investigating SSI (Supplemental Security Income, the federal income program for the aged, blind, or disabled) benefits on “random” travelers. However, Ms. Moon Katelyn, the director of a Korean American Senior Center in NY stated:
"Currently, over 70 percent of Korean SSI beneficiaries here have questioned whether travelling to Korea is advisable, given their limited financial situations. SSA is targeting Korean-American seniors who have not reported trips in 2009 and re-examining benefits and qualification for those sampled."
The elder who were questioned suffered significantly from a reduction in benefits which include a plane ticket fee of $1,300 plus an additional $700 from the SSI allotted benefit, as exemplified with Mrs. Choi in the article. Such situation illustrates how unfair and distressing circumstances that the Korean-American elders are in. The lack of English skills led to a lack of information on SSI regulations which resulted in a huge disadvantage for the uninformed elders. Additionally, having 70% of the Korean SSI beneficiaries questioned brings people to inquire about why SSA is selecting or even “targeting” this particular group or re-examination. It is important to examine these issues in order to prevent such mishaps from occurring in the future.
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