Q. I am 65 years old and I have been having a difficult time making ends meet since my husband died. I have heard about SSI, but I think I own too much to qualify. I have a house, a car, and some property my husband left me. Should I apply anyway?

A. By all means, you should apply. SSI does not count many of the things you own that are essential to your support, such as a house and car. You may own up to $2,000 of countable resources ($3,000 if you’re married) before it affects your eligibility. If you still own too much, you still may qualify for benefits if you agree to sell the excess resources within a certain time (nine months for real estate, six months for personal property).

In 1993, the maximum monthly Federal SSI benefit is $434 for an eligible person, $652 for an eligible couple, but many states add money to the basic benefit.

Q. Does Medicare pay for home health visits?

A. Medicare pays for home health visits if all four of the following conditions are met:

1. The care you need includes intermittent skilled nursing care, physical therapy, or speech therapy;

2. You are confined to your home;

3. You are under the care of a physician who determines you need home health care and sets up a home health care plan for you; and

4. The home health care agency providing services participates in Medicare.

When you no longer need intermittent nursing care, physical therapy or speech therapy, Medicare will pay for home health services if you continue to need occupational therapy.

Q. My neighbor told me that once you qualify for Medicare, the program pays for all of your home health care. Is this correct?

A. No. Some home health care is covered, but services not covered by Medicare include:

24-hour-a-day nursing care at home.

Drugs and biologicals.

Meals delivered to your home.

Homemaker services.

Blood transfusions.

Q. When my ex-husband retires, can I receive wife’s benefits even if we’re divorced?

A. If you and your ex-husband were married for at least 10 years and if you are at least 62 years of age and now unmarried, you will be eligible to receive divorced wife’s benefits based on his Social Security work record.

If your ex-husband is at least 62, you can receive divorced wife’s benefits even if he is still working and not yet drawing his own Social Security retirment benefits, if you’ve been divorced from him at least two years.

You can receive up to half of your ex-husband’s benefit if you wait until you’re age 65. At age 62, you receive about 38 percent. Any benefits payable to you do not affect those payable to his current wife or minor children.

Noel Pelliccia is manager of the Bangor Social Security Office.