Idea for residency for ppl on SSDI, SSI, etc

[simply lesa]

What states do you use for residency when on a limited income? Do you recieve things like food stamps while you live your adventurous mobile lifestyle?
Direct deposit makes the banking pretty easy. I have to.get reestablished when I get back.to the states...just wondering the best way rto handle things

 

[sl1966]

This is one I never had to think of quite this way before and I'm curious to hear what those who've been down this road say. If I were to take a &nbsp;guess at it I think I would say CA for the social benefits, but that's if you intend to stay put. Since you're to be mobile most of those benefits won't work.<br /><br />I think most people opt for any of the income tax free states though (AK, NV, SD, TX, FL, WA, WY).<br /><br />

 

[simply lesa]

Thanks everyone.<br /><br />Though I didn't get much specific info here. &nbsp;I am figuring out that my priorities are not related to Income Taxes because I don't receive enough money to pay income taxes (yes there is a minimum amount. &nbsp;under that amount you do not HAVE to file, you can choose to or not because you don't pay or benefit in anyway). &nbsp;For me the price of Insurance and registering and inspecting my vehicle will be more of a priority. &nbsp;I feel like I'm narrowing it down to SD or NV. &nbsp;Another priority for me is the Mail Services because I am a bit of a nomad AND because I don't have anyone that can handle that for me (well, I don't want to impose on the friends I do have either). &nbsp;I really want the best mail services for the best cost and prefer to have the scanned mail sent to email. &nbsp;With those priorities it seems NV is winning out, thank you Bob for sharing your information.<br /><br />My credit union wants me to get my mailing address changed ASAP so I'm working on that today. &nbsp;<br /><br />I hope more of you will use this thread to share residency and communication kinds of details that will help others on disability or lower incomes and using services as they VanDwell-FullTime...whatever us nomads do!<br /><br /><br />

 

[wandering mike]

I am a Texas resident. I use Escapees. &nbsp;(Escapees.com) for mail. &nbsp;If you live and travel generally in the same state, residency isn't an issue. &nbsp;You don't get to choose. &nbsp;You reside where you live. &nbsp; If you merely bounce between two states like snowbirds sometimes do, you can sort of choose if you manage the time spent in each state per the relevant rules. &nbsp;Typically no more than 180 days in the state you do NOT want to reside in.<br /><br />Most residency choices for people who are full time travelers tend to focus on state income tax it seems. &nbsp;If that is not a concern, then perhaps there are some benefits to being elsewhere. &nbsp;Some have longer driver's license terms or easier renewals. &nbsp;Others have lower car insurance costs. &nbsp;The typical "full time RV'er" states are SD, TX and FL it seems, and I suspect that is why the mail services sprouted in those states. &nbsp;But nothing stops you legally from having your residence in one state and still using a mail service in another state.

 

[akrvbob]

I think people give too little priority to geography. To me the highest priority is to be close to my state of residence. That rules out Fl, TX and SD because they all mean a trip of at least a 1000 miles to get there and you have to go there at least once. I love spending my winters in the desert on free BLM land so that brings it down to CA, NV, AZ or NM. CA is way TOO expensive, it's out. NM is really nice, but I can't think of a single reason to choose it over NV or AZ. AZ is much, much more beautiful than NM and has a lot of desert at lower elevations. The great majority of NM is at 4000 feet or above. That's too cold in the winter for me.<br /><br />So for me it is either NM or AZ. I do pay taxes so Nevada wins since it doesn't have any taxes. I also like that NV is the most Libertarian of all states--they don't care how you live your life as long as you don't hurt anyone else (or at least they are less intrusive than all the other states). <br /><br />Finally, since Nevada has a great mail forwarding service in jbmailroom.com, that was the final straw. I searched&nbsp; google for mail forwarders in AZ and never found any. Yes they have the UPS store and other Postal Box businesses, but they are very expensive and poor compared to a real mail forwarder. Jbmailroom is $100 a year ($8.33 a month), and UPS Store is $17 a month, plus an extra charge for mail forwarding. And they simply won't do all the personalized services a real mail forwarder will.&nbsp; When I was getting unemployment checks, my mail forwarder opened them all and checked to see if I had to respond. If I did she scanned and emailed it to me and if I didn't she did nothing. She offered to take the checks to the bank and deposit them for me (this was before the ATM cards), but I didn't want to use so much of her time. &nbsp; I have been 110% happy with her, she has a great service!!<br /><br />Bottom line, find a state near your route of travel and do the research to see which serves you best. <br /><br />I'm now blogging, follow me at http://cheaprvlivingblog.com/ Bob

 

[SoulRaven]

Well Bob, we have talked about this, you have written about this and i have contemplated this for awhile now... I think when we go through NV next it is time for me to change residency and opt in with that mail forwarder...

 

[wandering mike]

akrvbob: &nbsp; You are right and bring up good points. &nbsp;Nevada is a good state I forgot in my below post. &nbsp;And I think you point out a key item. &nbsp;If you are in fact staying someplace most of the time and really do return there, then that is the state of your residence. &nbsp;<br /><br />People who go get driver's licenses or register to vote in a place they visit once every three or four years and stay at a campground in that state for a couple days are often kidding themselves if they think they are a resident of that state when they spend most of their of time in two or three other states. &nbsp;But then again, unless you have enough taxable income or a job in a state with an income tax, nobody usually much cares. &nbsp;California does come especially to mind for folks who spend too much time in that state and start having income. &nbsp;Usually it is traveling construction workers who you hear about with problems with staying to long and being considered a resident.

 

[Ballenxj]

Has anybody been asked for their physical address, and what do you do about that?

 

[Zil]

The mail service provider would be your "physical address". The legality of this has not been tested by homeland ss.
Some states have overall higher taxes than just income tax. Like Fla with vehicle costs. Some states have better benefits for poorer folk. My medicare supplement is more per month in some states, such as Fla compared to Va. I looked into changing from NJ (income tax, medium $ health insurance, high $ vehicle insurance. But my daughter lives NJ and provides address. daughter in Fla, but much expense is hidden.
Filing a tax return can get you a refund if money was withheld. Also some people qualify for earned income credit.
A return is a good way to provide proof of income.

 

[SoulRaven]

While trying to find a mail forwarding service I read that a mail service address cannot be used for residency here in Texas. This was on the services website along with the statute. I don't know if this applies to any other states.

 

[Ballenxj]

While trying to find a mail forwarding service I read that a mail service address cannot be used for residency here in Texas. This was on the services website along with the statute. I don't know if this applies to any other states.

I understand DMV is now giving people grief for doing that in Southern Nevada. At least that's what they said at one of the forwarding businesses I spoke to.

 

[AltTransBikes]

I'm very interested in this and hope others chime in with ideas on working solutions to the physical address/residency issue.

 

[compassrose]

TN is a no state income tax state. As a TN resident, I had to pay non-resident income taxes to NC when I was working in NC. Did the same in NM (paid/filed NM income taxes on income earned in NM). Non-residents pay roughly double what residents do. We wil be moving from NM to TX and becoming residents. TX is more small business friendly than NM. We've operated the same business in both states, so we know this is true. Filing taxes for the business was less hassle in TX than NM as well. We are buying a piece of land to keep the gov happy. NM DMV/MVD does not understand we live in an RV park and all our utilities are included so no utility bills. What I did learn from the two days it took to get a drivers license is that to be a US native born citizen, I should have a passport. So I guess next year we will go thru the expense and hassle of getting a passport that we will never use. The kicker is if I had been an illegal immigrant, I would have only needed two of the 15+ pieces of id I had to produce. My advice to my fulltiming daughter... get a passport to travel in the US... and leave NM asap. Most racist state I have ever been in.... and I'm from the South.

 

[WheelEstate USA]

Been in Arizona for a long time and chose to stick with Az due to cost of plates and insurance on our motorhome. Its paid for so all we carry is liability insurance and its real cheap. Plates are only $27 yr.
Don't make enough on social security to worry about taxes.

We have a mail service that we're happy with. I call and they send only 1st class stuff.
Any payments are done online with paperless billing, so we don't get much mail.

 

[Ballenxj]

Been in Arizona for a long time and chose to stick with Az due to cost of plates and insurance on our motorhome. Its paid for so all we carry is liability insurance and its real cheap. Plates are only $27 yr.
Don't make enough on social security to worry about taxes.

I have often wondered how hard it would be to set things up in Arizona. Any more info on this that might be helpful?

 

[Salida Scarlett]

Where would be the nicest, least expensive place to stay in AZ year round? Sure not fond of summer heat.
Will need employment as well for son. I am on disability, and would have to establish residency.
This is ironic, because I live in Colorado, and although technically am on disability, I receive no medical insurance. Establishing residency here was a bear, and expensive. You MUST have a physical address, and change car and/or RV tags within 30 days, which are also expensive here. Also, living expenses are away too high.

 

[Lucky mike]

SSD is normally not an issue......you can move and use or keep your P.O

SSI/D is a whole nother ball game....you must let the state your leaving know and the new state your moving into....your benefits will vary and not stay the same and you must meet the criteria of the new state.

SSD/I is drawn from disability insurance....
SSI/D 50% is drawn from state welfare coffers...

Each state has its own rules.....but you cannot be denied just for being homeless..(RV or Vandwelling) and not having a fixed address , but if you are on SSI they will deduct living expenses.

Do your homework before making the move....

 

[akrvbob]

I can't help at all with ss or disability, but I can say it is very easy to become an Arizona resident. There is no one place that has good weather year-around. You have to settle for a place that will be a little too hot or a little too cold. I think I would choose Prescott at 6500 feet. Summers will get into the mid to high 90s and it will have real winters with snow. But neither summer or winter is terribly extreme.
Bob

 

[katelyn]

I've been kinda following this topic since I'm also on SS Disability. Still saving for a vehicle.... So...thought I'd shoot over an email to the social security disability people in their contact question section. Not sure if anyone else has done this but I'll post if they write me back!

 

[compassrose]

I think most people opt for any of the income tax free states though (AK, NV, SD, TX, FL, WA, WY).<br /><br />

You forgot to include TN. As a former resident, I know there is no income tax although the sales tax is a tad high.