What Supplemental Security Income Is

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a federal cash payment program run by the Social Security Administration for people with low income and limited resources who are aged 65 or older, blind, or disabled. The program provides monthly payments directly to individuals who meet the financial and medical requirements, regardless of their work history.

SSI is separate from Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), which is based on your own work record or a family member's work record. SSI exists specifically for people who have not worked enough to build that kind of benefit, or who have never worked at all. The amount you receive depends on your living situation, your income from other sources, and the state where you live.

The federal government sets a base payment amount each year, but some states add extra money on top of it. As of 2024, the federal base amount is $943 per month for an individual, though this figure changes annually. Your actual payment will be lower if you have other income or resources, and it may be higher if you live in a state that supplements the federal amount.

Key Takeaways

  • SSI provides monthly cash payments to people 65 or older, blind, or disabled who have very limited income and resources.
  • You must have less than $2,000 in countable resources as an individual (or $3,000 as a couple) to remain on the program.
  • Your monthly payment is reduced dollar-for-dollar by most other income you receive, including wages, unemployment benefits, and some types of support from family members.
  • Some states pay more than the federal base amount, so your payment depends partly on where you live.
  • You can work and still receive SSI, but your earnings will reduce your payment according to specific rules that allow you to keep some work income.

Income and Resource Limits

SSI has strict limits on how much money and property you can own. Your countable resources — the things the program counts toward your limit — must stay below $2,000 if you are single, or $3,000 if you are married and both spouses receive SSI. These limits have not changed since 1989.

Countable resources include cash, bank accounts, stocks, and bonds. They do not include your home (no matter its value), one vehicle, household goods, personal items, or life insurance with a face value under $1,500. If you own property beyond these exceptions and your total resources exceed the limit, you lose SSI until you bring them back down.

Income is treated differently from resources. The program counts most income you receive — wages, pensions, unemployment, child support — and reduces your SSI payment by roughly 65 cents for every dollar you earn above the monthly exclusion. Some income is not counted at all, such as the first $65 per month of wages plus half of anything you earn above that, food stamps, and certain in-kind support from others.

How Your Payment Is Calculated

Your SSI payment starts with the federal base amount, which the Social Security Administration adjusts each January based on the cost of living. If you live in a state that supplements SSI — currently 11 states plus Washington D.C. — your payment will be higher than the federal base.

The program then subtracts any countable income you have. If you receive wages, the first $65 per month is excluded, and then half of the remainder is also excluded. This means you can earn some money without losing your entire SSI check. If you receive other benefits like Social Security retirement or disability, those are counted dollar-for-dollar against your SSI payment.

Your living situation also affects the amount. If you live in someone else's household and do not pay your fair share of food and shelter costs, SSI assumes you are receiving in-kind support and reduces your payment. If you live in a facility that receives Medicaid funding, your payment may be capped at a lower amount. The Social Security Administration sends you a detailed breakdown of how your specific payment was calculated each month.

Work Incentives and Earning While on SSI

You can work and continue to receive SSI, and the program includes specific rules designed to let you keep some of your earnings. The Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) allows you to set aside income and resources for a work goal without losing your SSI. For example, if you want to save money for job training or to start a business, a PASS plan lets you exclude that money from the resource limit and some of that income from the payment calculation.

The Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE) deduction lets you subtract the cost of things you need to work because of your disability — such as transportation, medical equipment, or personal assistance — before your earnings are counted. This can significantly increase the amount of work income you can have while keeping your SSI payment.

Without these work incentives, the math is simple: you lose roughly 65 cents of SSI for every dollar you earn above the monthly exclusion. With PASS or IRWE, you can earn more and keep more of your SSI. The Social Security Administration has work incentive planners at local offices who can explain how these rules would apply to your specific situation.

SSI and Medicaid Coverage

In most states, receiving SSI automatically makes you may be able to access for Medicaid, the joint federal-state health insurance program for people with low income. This is one of the most valuable parts of SSI, because Medicaid covers doctor visits, hospital care, prescription drugs, and long-term care services that Medicare does not cover.

A few states use different rules and do not automatically link SSI to Medicaid. In those states, you must meet separate income and resource limits to get Medicaid, though those limits are usually close to the SSI limits. When you apply for SSI, the Social Security Administration will tell you whether you are also may be able to access for Medicaid in your state.

If you work and your earnings cause you to lose SSI, you may still be able to keep Medicaid for a period of time. This is called Medicaid continuation, and it lets you transition off SSI without immediately losing health coverage. The length of time varies by state, but it is typically several months to a year.

How SSI Differs from Other Benefits

SSI is often confused with Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) because both are run by the Social Security Administration and both require a medical condition. The key difference is that SSDI is based on your work history or a family member's work history, while SSI is based on financial need. You can receive both at the same time, but they are separate programs with different rules.

SSDI has no resource limit and no income limit — you can have as much money and property as you want. SSI has strict limits on both. SSDI payments are typically higher because they are based on your earnings record. SSI payments are lower and are the same for everyone in the same state (adjusted only for living situation and other income).

SSI is also different from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Those programs help with specific needs — food and basic cash assistance — while SSI provides a monthly cash payment to a specific group of people. You can receive SSI and SNAP at the same time, and in fact most SSI recipients also receive SNAP.

Reporting Changes and Keeping Your SSI

Once you are receiving SSI, you must report certain changes to the Social Security Administration within 10 days. These include changes in your income, living situation, resources, marital status, work status, or anything that affects your medical condition. If you do not report a change and your payment is calculated incorrectly, you may have to repay the overpayment, even if the error was not your fault.

The easiest way to report changes is through your online Social Security account, by phone at 1-800-772-1213, or in person at your local Social Security office. You will need to provide documents that prove the change — pay stubs for income changes, a lease for living situation changes, or bank statements for resource changes.

Your SSI case is reviewed periodically to make sure you still meet the medical requirements. The frequency depends on whether your condition is expected to improve. If the Social Security Administration believes your condition may have improved, they will schedule a medical review and ask you to provide updated medical evidence. If you do not respond or if they determine you no longer meet the disability standard, your SSI can be stopped.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I receive SSI if I own a home?

Yes. Your primary residence does not count toward the $2,000 resource limit, no matter how much it is worth. However, if you own a second property or investment real estate, that counts as a resource and could push you over the limit.

What happens to my SSI if I get married?

Your SSI payment will likely decrease because the resource limit for a couple is $3,000 instead of $2,000, and your spouse's income and resources are counted as part of your household. The exact change depends on your spouse's income and whether they also receive SSI. You must report the marriage to Social Security within 10 days.

Can I work part-time and still get SSI?

Yes. You can earn up to $65 per month with no reduction to your SSI, and then keep half of anything you earn above that. If you earn $200 per month, for example, you would lose roughly $68 of your SSI payment (half of the $136 above the $65 exclusion). Work incentive programs like PASS and IRWE can increase how much you can earn.

What is the difference between SSI and SSDI?

SSDI is based on your work record; SSI is based on financial need. SSDI has no resource or income limits; SSI does. You can receive both at the same time if you meet the requirements for each. SSDI payments are typically higher because they reflect your earnings history.

Do I lose SSI if I inherit money?

An inheritance counts as a resource, and if it pushes your total resources above $2,000, you will lose SSI until you spend the money down. However, if you use the inheritance to buy your home or to fund a PASS plan for a work goal, some or all of it may not count. You should report an inheritance to Social Security immediately and ask about your options.