I know this is old, but all of these answers are wrong. I won't delve into my background qualifications to give you accurate information, just know what I am telling you is very accurate and from professional knowledge. Your benefit was decreased b/c you told them that you live with your son and he pays the rent/bills. It happens all the time to a lot of people who are simply being honest and not realizing what they are saying. In all honesty, I am sure that you are putting your fair share into your son's household. I am sure that you contribute with necessities, utilities, etc. b/c no adult lives anywhere for free. Therefore, you are paying to live with your son. Have your son write a statement to the Soc. Sec. Admin. stating that you contribute whatever amount it is monthly to live in his home. They will then increase your check back to its full amount.
As for everyone else on here giving bad advice... don't. If you don't know what you are talking about then don't attempt to give advice that is incorrect.
SSI and SSDI are two totally different entities. The only similarities are that they are both for people with disabilities.
SSDI or what people refer to as "disability" payments are for people that have worked within a certain time period before the onset of their disability and have paid enough through earnings from working into social security. SSDI payments vary depending on how much the person has contributed through paycheck deductions in their lives. Basically, the more you made, the more you get if you become disabled.
SSI (SUPPLEMENTAL Security Income) are disability payments for people that have never worked OR have not worked enough to have paid in enough to the system to receive SSDI payments, but are still disabled and are not able to work to provide for themselves. It is actually a type of welfare program for disabled Americans that is funded federally to attempt to enable disabled individuals to survive.
But in all honesty... who can survive on $700-800 a month on their own?
And for the haters that want to look down on SSI recipients as tax money moochers or whatever.... my mother is on SSI. She is on SSI bc she was a stay at home mother for 20 years when her husband left. She looked for work for months but was not hired anywhere often b/c she had not worked in 15+ yrs. (she had only worked p/t sporadically b/c her husband insist that she needed to be home and through tantrums if she tried to work) So here she is, abandoned, alone, with 3 children and receiving $330/month in child support. She searched for work consistently, but kept getting sicker and sicker. She put off going to the doctor for a long time, until she got VERY sick. She was diagnosed with early onset osteoporosis at 40 yrs. old. She has several cracked vertebrae from it and also has debilitating arthritis in her SPINE and knees. It is maintained with NSAIDs and pain medications, and she still lives in constant pain and she is 59 yrs old and her bone density is decreasing significantly quickly and this is with meds. Basically, she could simply walk across the room and break her hip... at 59. Then she found out at 52 she had inoperable lung cancer and last year had 1/2 her kidney removed due to a tumor.
She was blessed enough to have a family house sold to her for cheap after my stepdad was gone which she in turn sold for profit and bought her new house with a very low mortgage, which is the only way she is able to live off of her income. She did not have a car for years b/c she couldn't afford one until I gave her my old car recently. She wants to work, but she honestly can't. She is a true story of riches to rags due to it too.
So to the know-it-all Sir Jam, who got his MD on the internet, unless you have lived with severe arthritis or seen a loved one try to cope and live with it... don't assume you know what you are talking about b/c you read it on the internet. It is not treatable, it is only maintainable. I have it in my shoulder and hand. I work. I take NSAIDs orally and topically for it and I deal with the pain, but when it gets to the level that some people have it is not bearable most days.
Sorry for the long personal story, but I hope this helps some...