For people with limited income and financial resources, meeting everyday expenses can be challenging. This can be particularly important for older adults and people who are blind or have a qualifying disability and have little income or savings available.
One federal program designed for these circumstances is Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
SSI provides monthly payments to eligible people who meet specific requirements related to age, blindness or disability, income, resources, citizenship or qualifying immigration status, and other factors.
However, SSI is frequently confused with Social Security retirement benefits and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). Understanding the differences can help you determine whether SSI may be relevant to your situation.
What Is SSI?
Supplemental Security Income is a federal program administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA).
The program provides monthly payments to qualifying individuals with limited income and resources who are:
- Age 65 or older;
- Blind; or
- Living with a qualifying disability.
Children with qualifying disabilities may also potentially receive SSI when the applicable eligibility requirements are met.
Unlike Social Security retirement benefits or SSDI, eligibility for SSI generally does not depend on having accumulated a particular number of Social Security work credits.
Instead, SSI focuses heavily on financial need along with age, blindness, or disability requirements.
Who Could Be Eligible for SSI?
SSI is not available simply because someone has a low income.
An applicant generally must fall into one of the categories covered by the program while also satisfying financial and other requirements.
For adults, SSI may potentially apply to someone who is 65 or older, blind, or has a qualifying disability and has limited income and resources.
Additional requirements also apply, including rules involving U.S. citizenship or certain qualifying noncitizen categories and where the applicant lives.
Because individual circumstances can be complicated, the Social Security Administration ultimately determines whether an applicant qualifies.
Can Someone Age 65 or Older Qualify Without a Disability?
Potentially, yes.
This is an important distinction between SSI and disability-only programs.
Someone who is 65 or older does not necessarily need to establish a disability to qualify for SSI. However, the individual must still meet the program’s applicable financial and other eligibility requirements.
For an older adult living on limited income, SSI may therefore be worth investigating even if that person has never received disability benefits.
Receiving Social Security retirement benefits also does not automatically mean SSI is unavailable.
Some people receiving relatively small Social Security benefits may potentially qualify for an SSI payment as well, depending on their income, resources, and other circumstances.
How Does Disability Eligibility Work?
For applicants under age 65 who apply based on disability, simply having a medical condition does not automatically establish SSI eligibility.
Social Security applies a specific definition of disability.
For an adult, the condition generally must significantly limit the person’s ability to perform substantial work and must have lasted, or be expected to last, for at least 12 months or be expected to result in death.
Medical evidence is an important part of this determination.
The Social Security Administration evaluates the applicant’s medical condition and other relevant information before making a disability decision.
Can Children Receive SSI?
Yes.
SSI is not limited to adults.
A child under age 18 may potentially qualify when the child has a physical or mental condition—or combination of conditions—that meets Social Security’s disability requirements.
Financial eligibility is also considered.
When determining whether a child qualifies, Social Security may consider some of the income and resources belonging to parents living in the household.
This process is sometimes called deeming.
Therefore, having a child with a serious medical condition does not by itself guarantee SSI eligibility. Both the applicable disability and financial requirements must be evaluated.
Income Is an Important Part of SSI Eligibility
SSI is intended for people with limited income.
Social Security considers different types of income when determining eligibility and payment amounts.
Income can potentially include money from:
- Employment
- Social Security benefits
- Pensions
- Certain other benefit payments
- Money or support received from other sources
However, not every dollar of income is necessarily counted in exactly the same way.
SSI has exclusions and specific rules for calculating countable income.
This means someone should not automatically assume that earning some money or receiving another benefit makes them ineligible.
The appropriate determination depends on the type and amount of income and the person’s circumstances.
What About Savings and Other Resources?
SSI also has resource limits.
This makes SSI different from programs that primarily evaluate current household income.
Resources can include certain things that a person owns and could potentially convert to cash, such as money in bank accounts, investments, and certain property.
However, not everything a person owns necessarily counts toward the SSI resource limit.
For example, under applicable rules, certain property may be excluded when Social Security calculates countable resources.
Because these rules can be detailed, applicants should provide accurate information rather than trying to determine eligibility solely from the total value of everything they own.
Is Your Home Counted?
For many potential applicants, this is an important question.
The home where an individual lives generally receives special treatment under SSI resource rules and may not count as a resource when the applicable requirements are met.
Certain other property may also be excluded.
This is why simply adding the value of a home, vehicle, personal belongings, and bank account together is not a reliable way to determine SSI eligibility.
Social Security applies specific rules to determine what is and is not a countable resource.
SSI and SSDI Are Different Programs
SSI is frequently confused with Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).
Both programs can provide payments to people with qualifying disabilities, but the financial requirements are very different.
SSDI is generally connected to a person’s work history and Social Security work credits.
SSI is based primarily on financial need and meeting the program’s age, blindness, or disability requirements.
Some individuals can potentially qualify for both programs at the same time.
This is sometimes referred to as receiving concurrent benefits.
If you have a disability but are uncertain whether you have enough work history for SSDI, that does not necessarily mean SSI is unavailable.
Can You Receive Social Security and SSI?
In some circumstances, yes.
Receiving Social Security retirement or disability benefits does not automatically prevent someone from qualifying for SSI.
However, Social Security benefits generally count as income when SSI eligibility and payment amounts are calculated.
Someone receiving a relatively small monthly Social Security benefit may therefore potentially qualify for an additional SSI payment if all other requirements are satisfied.
Someone receiving a higher amount may have too much countable income.
The actual determination depends on the individual’s circumstances.
Could SSI Affect Medicaid Eligibility?
SSI and Medicaid are separate programs, but there can be an important relationship between them.
In many states, SSI recipients may also qualify for Medicaid based on their SSI eligibility, while other states use additional Medicaid procedures or eligibility criteria.
Because Medicaid administration varies by state, SSI recipients should check how Medicaid eligibility works where they live.
Health coverage can be especially important for people applying for SSI because of disability or age.
What About SNAP?
SSI recipients may also potentially qualify for SNAP, depending on household circumstances and the applicable eligibility rules.
SNAP provides food assistance, while SSI provides monthly cash payments.
They are separate programs.
Receiving SSI does not automatically mean someone will receive SNAP, and receiving SNAP does not automatically establish SSI eligibility.
However, individuals with limited income and resources may find it worthwhile to investigate both programs independently.
How Much Can Someone Receive From SSI?
SSI payment amounts can change over time, and the amount an individual actually receives may be different from the maximum federal amount.
Several factors can affect the payment.
For example, countable income can reduce the amount of SSI payable.
Living arrangements and other circumstances can also affect calculations in some situations.
In addition, some states provide supplemental payments to certain SSI recipients.
For this reason, advertisements or articles promising that every SSI recipient will receive the same specific amount can be misleading.
Eligibility and actual payment amounts must be determined individually.
Do You Need to Have Worked Before?
Not necessarily.
This is one of the biggest differences between SSI and SSDI.
Because SSI is a needs-based program, someone does not need the same type of Social Security work-credit history generally associated with SSDI eligibility.
This can make SSI relevant to people who have limited work histories.
However, they must still meet all applicable SSI requirements.
Can You Work and Still Receive SSI?
Working does not necessarily result in automatic SSI ineligibility.
SSI has specific rules regarding earned income, and not all earnings are necessarily counted dollar for dollar when determining the payment.
Certain work incentives can also apply to eligible recipients.
However, earnings can affect both eligibility and the amount of the monthly SSI payment.
People receiving SSI should report relevant changes in income and employment to Social Security as required.
What If You Were Denied SSI Before?
A previous denial does not necessarily determine the result of every future application.
Your circumstances may change.
For example:
- Your income could decrease.
- Your resources could change.
- You could develop a new medical condition.
- An existing condition could become more severe.
- You could reach age 65.
- Your living arrangements could change.
There are also procedures for appealing certain Social Security decisions when an applicant disagrees with the determination.
It is important to follow the instructions and deadlines provided with an official decision.
What Information May Be Needed?
The exact information required depends on why someone is applying.
Applicants may need to provide information concerning their:
- Identity
- Income
- Bank accounts and other resources
- Living arrangements
- Household circumstances
- Medical conditions
- Doctors, hospitals, or treatment
- Employment history
Social Security may request additional documentation during the process.
Providing accurate and complete information can help prevent unnecessary delays in evaluating an application.
SSI May Not Be the Only Program Worth Checking
Someone who appears financially eligible for SSI may also want to investigate other assistance programs.
Depending on age, income, disability, household size, and state of residence, these could include Medicaid, SNAP, LIHEAP, Lifeline, housing assistance, and other state or local programs.
Each program has separate requirements.
Qualifying for SSI does not guarantee eligibility for every other benefit, and receiving another form of assistance does not automatically mean that you qualify for SSI.
However, understanding the different programs can help households identify assistance that may be relevant to their circumstances.
Could You Be Eligible for SSI?
SSI may be worth investigating if you have limited income and resources and you are 65 or older, blind, or have a qualifying disability.
Parents may also want to investigate SSI when a child has a serious physical or mental condition and the household meets the applicable financial requirements.
The key is not to assume eligibility—or ineligibility—based on a single factor.
Income, resources, age, disability, living arrangements, other benefits, and additional requirements can all affect the final determination.
If your circumstances have recently changed, an old eligibility decision may no longer provide an accurate picture of your current situation.
Reviewing the current SSI requirements and providing accurate information to the Social Security Administration is the most reliable way to determine whether you or an eligible family member could qualify.