Trina Brown knew she and her husband Alex wouldn't have a lavish lifestyle after they married last May. After all, both were dependent on food stamps and Social Security disability checks.

But she was content committing to the man who had become a certified caregiver to help care for her properly.

"We're in love, and we want to be together the rest of our lives," Trina said.

It could be tougher than she had expected, though.

The couple had a surprise wedding present in June: A letter from Social Security informing that Trina's Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability would drop from $674 a month to $369.

Alex, who is on Social Security Insurance disability, receives $698 a month.

When Trina called Social Security to question the change, she was informed it was due to her marriage, and the agency combining the couple's incomes.

"They didn't tell us to get divorced, but they said it was the only way to get my full benefits back," said Trina, 42. "Because we're combined, I guess we only need half as much."

Also, after requesting her food stamp card be updated to include her new last name, Trina was informed last month by Idaho Health and Welfare that she and her husband would now receive a collective $275 a month in food stamps, where they had each received $200 a month before.

The transfer of her new name for her medical coverage under IHW has also caused complications. For the past month she hasn't received coverage for medication for her bipolar disorder, her seizures or her high blood pressure, she said, none of which she can afford on her own.

"They just say I have to wait, or go to the ER," she said of calls to IHW. "It's like we're being penalized just because we fell in love."

The Coeur d'Alene couple, together three and a half years, had asked if their benefits would be affected by their marriage, she added, but had been told they wouldn't be affected by more than $5 or $10.

"We probably wouldn't have gotten married," Trina said of if they had known the potential financial impacts.

Neither can currently work, Trina noted. She is bipolar and has seizures, and said her mental issues make her afraid to go outside. Alex, 37, also has an extreme case of bipolar disorder.

The couple's parents have been helping them get by over the past several months, she added, though their folks are older and retired and don't have that much to give.

"This is putting a real damper on our relationship," Trina said. "It's a big strain."

Michael Webb, spokesman for the Social Security Seattle office, stated that he couldn't discuss the details of the case. But he explained that SSDI payments, which Alex receives, are based on the number of years recipients have worked and their earnings.

Payments do not change because of marriage, he added.

But SSI, which Trina receives, is a needs-based disability program, Webb stated, with eligibility based on income and resources. Any additional income could reduce a person's payments.

"If an individual marries, spousal income and resources could also count against payment amounts and eligibility," Webb wrote in an email.

Emily Simnitt, spokeswoman for Idaho Health and Welfare, also said she couldn't discuss the specifics of this case. Food stamp recipients are regularly reevaluated, she said, with eligibility based on income, the number of people in a household and their assets.

"Something that could change is if two people were not in the same household and then became in the same household," Simnitt noted. "If their circumstances change, they can become eligible for less."

Trina is still determined to get help from the agencies, she said, and has continued making calls.

But the experience so far has somewhat tainted her outlook on marriage, she noted.

"If you're in love, get married, but be prepared to be really dirt poor," Trina said.