You can receive both Social Security and SSI, but SSI counts most Social Security income against your monthly payment

If you get Social Security benefits — whether from your own work record, as a spouse, or as a survivor — SSI will reduce your SSI payment dollar-for-dollar by most of what you receive. The first $65 of your Social Security payment each month is not counted, plus an additional $20 from any other income source. After that, SSI subtracts nearly everything else from your SSI check.

The result is that most people who receive both do not end up with a larger total payment than they would get from Social Security alone. However, the combination can still matter because SSI provides access to Medicaid in most states, even if your SSI payment drops to zero or a few dollars per month.

The exact amount you receive depends on your state (because SSI has a federal base payment plus state supplements in some places), your Social Security amount, and whether you have other income or resources.

Key Takeaways

  • SSI reduces your monthly payment by $1 for every $1 of Social Security you receive, after the first $65 is excluded and a $20 general income exclusion is applied.
  • Most people who get both Social Security and SSI receive less total money than if they got Social Security alone, but may keep Medicaid coverage through SSI.
  • Your state may add a supplement to the federal SSI payment, which changes how much you receive each month.
  • If your Social Security payment is high enough, your SSI payment may drop to $0, but you could still be considered an SSI recipient for Medicaid purposes in some states.
  • The Social Security Administration and your state SSI office must coordinate information, so changes to one benefit affect the other within one to two months.

How the income exclusion works in practice

SSI has a standard income exclusion that protects a small amount of what you earn or receive each month. The first $65 of any income is not counted. Then you get an additional $20 exclusion from sources other than wages (Social Security counts as non-wage income). After those two exclusions, SSI counts everything else.

If you receive $500 per month in Social Security, here is how it works: subtract $65 (the general exclusion), leaving $435. SSI then counts that $435 as income and reduces your SSI payment by $435. If the federal SSI payment for 2024 is $943 per month, your SSI check would be $943 minus $435, or $508 per month. Your total would be $500 (Social Security) plus $508 (SSI) = $1,008.

If you had no Social Security and only SSI, you would receive the full $943. So in this example, getting both actually reduces your total by about $65 per month — the amount of the first exclusion. This is why many people find it confusing: they are may have access to to both, but the second benefit does not add as much as they expect.

State supplements and regional differences

Fourteen states and Washington, D.C. add their own money to the federal SSI payment: California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. These supplements vary widely — some add $50 to $100 per month, others add several hundred.

Your state supplement is also reduced by your Social Security income using the same formula. If you live in a state with a supplement, your total SSI payment (federal plus state) will be higher than the federal amount alone, but Social Security will still reduce it by nearly the full amount you receive.

If you move to a different state, your SSI payment changes on the first day of the following month. You should report the move to your local Social Security office or SSI office before you leave, because the payment difference can be significant.

When your Social Security is high enough to eliminate SSI

If your Social Security payment is large enough, your SSI payment may drop to $0. This happens when your Social Security, minus the $65 exclusion, equals or exceeds the full SSI payment amount in your state.

Even when your SSI payment is $0, you may still be considered an SSI recipient for Medicaid purposes in many states. This is called "deemed" SSI status. It means you keep Medicaid coverage even though you receive no SSI cash payment. The rules vary by state — some states continue Medicaid, others do not — so you should contact your state Medicaid office to confirm your coverage if your SSI payment reaches zero.

If you lose SSI cash payments and your state does not continue Medicaid under deemed status, you may be able to stay on Medicaid through a "1619(b) work incentive" or other pathway, depending on your state and income. This is worth asking about before your SSI payment drops.

How changes to one benefit affect the other

When your Social Security payment changes — because of a cost-of-living adjustment, a work record update, or a change in your family status — SSI is notified automatically through the Social Security Administration's records. Your SSI payment will adjust in the following month to account for the new Social Security amount.

The same happens in reverse: if your SSI case closes or your circumstances change, Social Security is notified. However, the two systems do not always communicate instantly. You may see a delay of one to two months between when a change occurs and when both payments reflect it.

If you notice a discrepancy — for example, your Social Security went up but your SSI did not go down as expected — contact your local Social Security office. Errors in how income is counted do happen, and they can usually be corrected once reported.

Resources and income limits that affect both benefits

SSI has strict resource limits: you can own no more than $2,000 in countable resources (or $3,000 if you are married and both spouses get SSI). Social Security does not have resource limits, but SSI will count your resources when determining whether you remain SSI-may be able to access.

If you receive an inheritance, a settlement, or a large gift while on SSI, you must report it. Resources above the limit will make you ineligible for SSI, even if your Social Security continues. Some resources are excluded — your home, one vehicle, personal items, and certain savings accounts set up for work incentives — but most money in the bank counts.

Social Security income (the benefit payment itself) does not count as a resource. Only money you have saved or own counts toward the resource limit.

Work incentives and how they affect both benefits

If you work while receiving both Social Security and SSI, both programs have rules about how much you can earn before your benefits are reduced. Social Security has a substantial gainful activity (SGA) threshold — earning above this amount can affect your benefits if you are under full retirement age. SSI has its own earnings rules and exclusions.

SSI excludes the first $65 of monthly earnings, plus half of earnings above that. So if you earn $200 per month, SSI counts $67.50 as income ($200 minus $65, divided by two). This reduced amount is then subtracted from your SSI payment, and your Social Security is also reduced by the same $67.50 if it applies to your case.

If you are working and receiving both benefits, you should report your earnings to both Social Security and your state SSI office to avoid overpayments. Some work incentive programs, like the Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS), can help you set aside income and resources for work-related goals without losing benefits, but you must set them up in advance.

Frequently Asked Questions

If I get Social Security, do I automatically get SSI?

No. You must apply for SSI separately, and you must meet SSI's income and resource limits. Getting Social Security does not mean you may have access to for SSI. You can contact your local Social Security office or state SSI office to find out whether you may be may be able to access based on your income and resources.

What if my Social Security payment is very small?

If your Social Security is small — for example, $200 per month — SSI will reduce your payment by most of it, but you will still receive SSI. Using the earlier example, $200 minus $65 equals $135, so your SSI payment would be reduced by $135. If the full SSI payment is $943, you would receive $808 in SSI plus $200 in Social Security, totaling $1,008.

Can I lose Medicaid if my SSI payment drops to zero?

It depends on your state. Many states continue Medicaid for people with $0 SSI payments under deemed status, but others do not. Contact your state Medicaid office or your SSI caseworker to confirm whether you will keep coverage if your SSI payment reaches zero.

What happens if I move to a different state?

Your SSI payment will change to reflect your new state's federal rate and any state supplement. Report your move to Social Security before you leave so the change takes effect on the first day of the next month. Your Medicaid coverage may also change, so contact your new state's Medicaid office.

Do I have to report my Social Security to SSI?

Yes. SSI and Social Security share information automatically, but you should report any changes to your Social Security payment to your SSI office as well. If you receive a retroactive payment or a one-time payment from Social Security, report it immediately so SSI can adjust your payment correctly and you do not receive an overpayment.