Supplemental Security Income - Benefit Details

Benefit Details

Payments for SSI are made for the first day of the month, unless the first of the month is on a Weekend or a legal holiday, in which case the payment is made on the first day prior that is not a weekend or a legal holiday. The minimum benefit is $1 (USD).

The SSI program, or Title XVI of the Social Security Act 1611, provides monthly federal cash assistance of up to $674 for an individual and $1,011 for a couple (as of 2011) to help meet the costs of basic needs of food, shelter and clothing. In most states, SSI eligibility usually assures concurrent access to important medical coverage under the various state Medicaid programs and sometimes access to Section 8 housing benefits. In some states, supplemental payments are made by the state, increasing the cash assistance available through SSI. For example, the state of California, through its State Supplementation Program (SSP), increases the cash assistance by $171 per month for a disabled or aged individual with access to cooking facilities in 2011, making the total SSI benefit $845 per month.

SSI takes the income and resources of the applicant or recipient into consideration. People who have qualified for Social Security disability benefits may receive SSI during the 5-month waiting period, if they meet the income and resource requirements. The resource limit for single individuals is $2000 and, for married individuals, is $3000. Resources include anything that is cash or can be turned into cash, such as art, mineral rights, stocks or other investments, and real property. In some situations, however, these resources can be excluded. SSI benefits are generally reduced dollar-for-dollar by any unearned income, such as TANF, alimony, unemployment insurance, Social Security Disability or Retirement benefits. Earned income, from wages or self-employment, is treated more favorably; e.g., a person who earns a wage of $750 per month may still be eligible, while someone who receives $750 per month in alimony may be ineligible. It is permissible, subject to regulations, to be employed and yet continue to receive SSI. Even if a person no longer receives SSI, due their wage or self-employment income being too high, they may still be eligible for Medicaid benefits, under what are referred to as 1619 provisions. An examination of eligibility for SSI also considers the income of "deemors," e.g., a spouse who lives with the recipient, a parent or parents who live with a child recipient (recipient under the age of 18) or, in some cases, the sponsor of an alien.

Social Security determines the first month of potential eligibility for SSI by the date of the intent to file an application for benefits as expressed to the Social Security Administration, and an application is filed within 60 days of the date of that expressed intention. To begin the process, people wishing to be considered must contact Social Security (there is a toll-free telephone number) to set up a disability interview. No online application for SSI is currently available; however, one may apply for Social Security Disability or Retirement benefits online and add the application for SSI via a telephone-scheduled interview. Calls placed on the last day of the month, where the interview is scheduled for the second week of the following month, will result in SSI eligibility being retroactive to the month in which the call was made to set up the appointment, although the first check will not be received until the next month. For example, a person calls on 31 January to set up an appointment for February. January will be the month-of-application for determination purposes, but the first benefit check will be issued in February. Medicaid benefits usually begin the first month in which both medical and financial requirements are met.

An immigrant, in order to qualify for SSI, must have been a legal resident of the United States before the Welfare Reform Act of 1996 took effect (August 22, 1996). Those who arrived after that date may be denied by SSI benefits. However, the regulations governing alien eligibility for SSI are complex and contain many exceptions; for instance, asylees, refugees, spouses of a member of the U.S. military, and some LAPR may be qualified aliens. A person who has been in LAPR status for at least 5 years, has a valid I-551 issued by the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration, and has been employed in the United States, may qualify. People wishing to learn whether they might qualify for SSI should contact the Social Security Administration to schedule an appointment for an interview.

A person who is incarcerated for an entire calendar month is ineligible for benefits. If the person is in a medical facility, where at least 50% of their costs are paid by Medicaid, then their benefit may be reduced to $30.