SSI payment amounts depend on your living situation and income
The federal SSI payment in 2024 is $943 per month for an individual with no other income and no resources. If you're married and both spouses receive SSI, each gets $943. If you live with someone who pays your expenses, or if you have other income, your payment shrinks or stops. The exact amount you receive depends on what state you live in, whether you work, and how much money you already have.
SSI is not the same as Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). SSI is a needs-based program — you have to be poor to get it. SSDI is based on work history. If you're receiving SSDI, your payment amount is different and doesn't change based on how poor you are.
Key Takeaways
- The federal SSI payment for 2024 is $943 per month for a single person, but many states add money on top of that amount.
- If you have a job, the first $65 of your monthly earnings don't count against your SSI, and then half of what you earn above that is deducted from your payment.
- If someone else pays for your food or housing, your SSI payment is reduced by one-third of the federal rate, which is about $314 per month.
- Your payment stops if your countable resources exceed $2,000 for an individual or $3,000 for a couple.
- Some states supplement the federal SSI amount, so your total payment may be higher than $943 depending on where you live.
How the federal payment amount works
The $943 monthly payment is the federal base rate. Social Security adjusts this amount each year based on inflation. The adjustment happened in January 2024, so the amount you receive starting in January 2025 will be different — Social Security announces the new rate in October of each year.
This $943 is what you get if you have no other income and no one is paying your living expenses. It's meant to cover food, shelter, utilities, and basic needs. The payment goes directly to your bank account or a representative payee's account if someone else manages your money.
State supplements add to the federal amount
Fourteen states and Washington D.C. add their own money to the federal SSI payment. These are called state supplements. California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C. all have them. The amount varies widely — some states add $50 per month, others add several hundred dollars.
If you move to a different state, your payment amount changes. You keep receiving SSI, but the state supplement either increases, decreases, or disappears depending on where you move. This is important to know if you're considering relocating.
How work income reduces your payment
If you work, SSI doesn't take away your entire payment dollar-for-dollar. Instead, Social Security uses a formula. The first $65 you earn in a month doesn't count. Then, for every dollar you earn above $65, SSI deducts 50 cents from your payment. The other 50 cents is yours to keep.
Example: You earn $200 in a month. The first $65 doesn't count. You have $135 left. Half of that ($67.50) is deducted from your SSI. So your SSI payment is reduced by $67.50, not $135. This rule is called the "earned income exclusion" and it's designed to encourage work without immediately cutting off your benefit.
If you're self-employed or run a business, the rules are more complicated. Social Security counts your net profit (income minus business expenses), and there are additional deductions for things like impairment-related work expenses. You should report your self-employment income to Social Security and ask them to calculate how it affects your payment.
Unearned income and how it affects your payment
Unearned income is money you don't work for — gifts, tax refunds, interest, child support, or money from family members. SSI counts most unearned income dollar-for-dollar against your payment. If you receive $100 in unearned income, your SSI payment drops by $100 that month.
There's a small exclusion: the first $20 of unearned income per month doesn't count. So if someone gives you $50, only $30 counts against your SSI. But this $20 exclusion is small and doesn't help much if you're receiving regular unearned income.
Certain types of income don't count at all — food stamps (now called SNAP), housing vouchers, and some other in-kind support. But money itself, even if it's meant for food or rent, counts as unearned income.
In-kind support and housing reduces your payment by one-third
If someone else pays for your food or housing, SSI calls this "in-kind support and maintenance" (ISM). Your payment is reduced by one-third of the federal SSI rate. In 2024, that's about $314 per month. This reduction happens whether someone pays $100 toward your rent or $1,000 — the reduction is the same.
This rule applies if you live with family members who pay your expenses, if you live in someone else's home and they cover your food, or if you're in a group home where the operator pays for meals and housing. It doesn't matter whether the person helping you is doing it out of generosity or obligation.
If you live alone and pay your own rent and food, this reduction doesn't apply. If you live with someone but split expenses equally and each person pays their own share, it may not apply either — but you should report the situation to Social Security and let them decide.
Resource limits and how savings affect SSI
SSI has a resource limit: you can have no more than $2,000 in countable resources if you're single, or $3,000 if you're married and both spouses receive SSI. Resources are things you own that can be turned into cash — bank accounts, savings, stocks, or a second car. Your home and one car don't count.
If your resources go over the limit, you lose SSI entirely until you spend down below the limit. This is a hard cutoff, not a gradual reduction. If you have $2,001, you're over. You need to get back to $2,000 or less.
Some things don't count as resources even if they have value. Your home, one vehicle, household goods, personal effects, and certain items related to your disability don't count. Life insurance with a face value under $1,500 doesn't count. But cash, bank accounts, and most investments do count.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does SSI payment increase every year?
Yes. Social Security adjusts the federal SSI rate each January based on inflation. The adjustment is called the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA). The new rate is announced in October of the previous year. Your payment amount may go up, stay the same, or in rare cases go down, depending on inflation that year.
What happens to my SSI if I inherit money?
An inheritance counts as a resource. If it pushes your total resources over $2,000, you lose SSI until you spend the inheritance down. Some people use the money to pay for medical care, home repairs, or education — things that may help them become more independent. You should talk to Social Security before spending an inheritance to understand how it affects your benefits.
Can I have a bank account and still get SSI?
Yes, but the money in the account counts toward your $2,000 resource limit. If you have $1,500 in savings and $500 in cash, you're at your limit. You can have a bank account, but the total of all your resources can't exceed $2,000. Some people use ABLE accounts, which allow you to save up to $17,000 without losing SSI, but you have to meet specific disability requirements to open one.
If I get married, does my SSI payment change?
Yes. If both spouses receive SSI, each gets the full federal rate ($943 in 2024). If only one spouse receives SSI and the other doesn't, the SSI recipient's payment may be affected by the other spouse's income. You should report the marriage to Social Security right away so they can recalculate your payment correctly.
What if I live in a state with no supplement?
You receive only the federal SSI amount, which is $943 per month in 2024. Most states don't have supplements. If you move from a state with a supplement to one without, your payment will drop. If you move from a state without a supplement to one with a supplement, your payment will increase.