What Is Supplemental Security Income (SSI)?

This page explains Supplemental Security Income (SSI), who can get it, and how to apply. It provides basic information and is not intended to answer all questions. Talk with an experienced Social Security attorney for specific details about your situation.

The SSA makes monthly SSI payments to people who have low income and few resources and are:

• Age 65 or older;
• Blind; or
• Disabled.

The Social Security Administration manages the SSI program. Even though Social Security manages the program, SSI is not paid for by Social Security taxes. SSI is paid for by U.S. Treasury general funds, not the Social Security trust funds.

Rules for Getting SSI

Adults and children might be eligible for SSI if they have: 

1. Little or no income, and 
2. Little or no resources, and 
3. A disability, blindness, or are age 65 or older. 

Income

Income is money you receive, such as wages, Social Security benefits, and pensions. Income also includes such things as food and shelter. It is possible to receive SSI while working, but you cannot exceed the SGA amount for the year.

Social Security uses the term substantial gainful activity (SGA) to describe a level of work activity and earnings that is both substantial and gainful. SGA involves performing significant physical or mental activities or a combination of both. You do not need to work full-time for your work activity to be substantial. Work activity performed on a part-time basis may also be SGA.

If you are married, Social Security includes part of your spouse’s income and resources when deciding whether you qualify for SSI. If you are younger than age 18, Social Security will count your parent’s income and resources. If you are a sponsored noncitizen, Social Security may include your sponsor’s income and resources.

Social Security does not count all of your income when deciding whether you qualify for SSI. For example, Social Security does not count:

• The first $20 a month of most income you receive;
• The first $65 a month you earn from working and half the amount over $65;
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, formerly known as food stamps;
• Shelter you get from private nonprofit organizations;
• Most home energy assistance;
• If you are a student, some of your income or scholarships may not count against you.
• If you are disabled but work, Social Security does not count wages you use to pay for items or services that help you to work.
  • For example, if you need a wheelchair, the wages you use to pay for the wheelchair do not count as income when Social Security decides whether you qualify for SSI.
• If you are blind, Social Security does not count any wages put towards work expenses.
  • For example, if a blind person uses wages for transportation to and from work, the wages used to pay the transportation cost are not counted as income.

Resources

You may be able to get SSI if your resources are worth no more than $2,000. A couple may be able to get SSI if they have resources worth no more than $3,000. If you own property that you are trying to sell, you may be able to get SSI while trying to sell it. Resources that Social Security counts in deciding whether you qualify for SSI include real estate, bank accounts, cash, stocks, and bonds.

Social Security does not count everything you own in deciding whether you have too many resources to qualify for SSI. For example, Social Security does not count:

• The home you live in and the land it is on;
• Life insurance policies with a face value of $1,500 or less;
• Your car (usually);
• Burial plots for you and members of your immediate family and
• Up to $1,500 in burial funds for you and up to $1,500 for your spouse.

Disability

If you’re 64 or younger, you need to have a disability that:

• Affects your ability to work for a year or more
• Will result in death
• Severely limits daily activity (for children with disabilities)

To qualify, you must also prove you earned less than $1,550 monthly (as of 2024) from work when you apply. If you’re 65 or older, you don’t need a disability to get SSI.

Other Rules You Must Meet

You must live in the United States (or the Northern Mariana Islands) and be a U.S. citizen or national. (In some cases, noncitizen residents can qualify for SSI. For more information, get a copy of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) For Noncitizens (Publication No. 05-11051)).

If you are eligible for Social Security or other benefits, you should apply for them. You can get SSI and other benefits if you qualify for both.

• If you live in certain types of institutions, you may get SSI.
• You usually cannot get SSI if you live in a city or county rest home, halfway house, or other public institution, but there are some exceptions.
• If you live in a publicly operated community residence that serves no more than 16 people, you may get SSI.
• If you live in a public institution mainly to attend approved educational or job training to help you get a job, you may get SSI.
• If you live in a public emergency shelter for people without housing, you may get SSI.
• If you live in a public or private institution and Medicaid pays more than half the cost of your care, you may get a small SSI benefit.

How to Apply for SSI

If you are applying for SSI, you can complete a large part of your application by visiting Social Security’s website. You can also call Social Security toll-free at 1-800-772-1213 to request an appointment with a Social Security representative to complete your application. A parent or guardian can usually apply for blind or disabled children under age 18. In some cases, other third parties can apply for children.

You should take certain items when you apply. Even if you do not have everything listed below, apply anyway. The people in the Social Security office can help you get whatever you need. You should take:

• Your Social Security card or a record of your Social Security number;
• Your birth certificate or other proof of your age;
• Information about the home where you live, such as your mortgage or your lease and landlord’s name;
• Payroll slips, bank books, insurance policies, burial fund records, and other information about your income and the things you own;
• The names, addresses, and telephone numbers of doctors, hospitals, and clinics that you have been to if you are applying for SSI because you are disabled or blind;
• Proof of U.S. citizenship or eligible noncitizen status; and
• Your checkbook or other papers that show your account information for any bank, credit union, or loan account.

When To Apply

Apply as soon as possible so that you do not lose benefits. Social Security cannot pay benefits for time periods earlier than your application effective date.

If you call Social Security to make an appointment to apply and file an application within 60 days of the call, Social Security may use the date of your call as your application filing date.

If you do not keep this appointment and do not contact SSA to reschedule, SSA will try to contact you. If SSA cannot reach you by phone, SSA will send you a letter. The letter will say that if you file an application within 60 days from the date of the letter, Social Security will use the date of your original contact with them as your SSI application date.

If you are in a public institution but will be leaving within a few months, you may not be eligible for SSI until you leave. You may, however, be able to apply before you leave so that SSI benefits can begin quickly after you leave. Check with the institution and Social Security about filing an application under the “prerelease procedure.”

What Happens When You Apply For SSI?

When you file an application for SSI benefits based on disability or blindness, Social Security will first decide whether you meet the income and resource criteria and other eligibility requirements. If you do, Social Security will ask you for the following:

• Dates, places, and types of work you have done in the 5 years before you became unable to work because of your illnesses, injuries, or conditions, including your daily duties for the type of work you did and why your employment ended;
• Information about your physical or mental impairment(s);
• Names, addresses, and telephone numbers of doctors, hospitals, and any other medical sources you have seen;
• Dates of treatment and the kinds of treatment you have received from your doctors, hospitals, and other medical sources;
• Names of each prescription and non-prescription medicine that you take and the doctor who prescribed it;
• The kinds of medical tests you have had, when and where they were done, who sent you for them, and
• For a disabled child, the name, address, and telephone number of the child’s school and teacher and a third party to assist with the claim.

Obtaining Evidence About Your Impairments and Functioning

The DDS does not examine you and usually does not meet with you, but they may contact you for additional information. While they will not base their decision solely on your statements about yourself (for example, the fact that you are enrolled in special education classes), that information is very useful. The DDS also contacts doctors, hospitals, schools, teachers, therapists, relatives, or others who can provide useful information about your impairment(s) and functioning. If the DDS cannot get enough information from your doctors and other people to decide if you are disabled, they will arrange and pay for an examination or testing by a qualified medical professional.

How Long Does the Decision Take?

It may take several months to receive a decision. In rare cases, sometimes Social Security can make a “presumptive” disability or blindness determination and start paying you while the DDS decides. If you have a compassionate allowance condition, your case may be fast-tracked and decided sooner. The compassionate allowance initiative is for applicants whose medical conditions are so severe that their conditions obviously meet Social Security’s disability standards. You must submit medical information that confirms your diagnosis.

Who Decides If You Are Disabled Or Blind?

The local Social Security office personnel do not make the disability determination. The local Social Security office sends your claim to a State agency called Disability Determination Services (DDS). The DDS decides whether or not you are disabled according to the SSA definition of disability. If you appear to meet all the non-medical eligibility requirements (income, resources, residency, citizenship, etc.), Social Security uses a step-by-step process to determine if you are disabled. These steps are called the sequential evaluation process. 

Your Rights in the SSI Claim Process

Most importantly, anyone has the right to apply for SSI. There is no charge to apply. You have other rights too:

You Have the Right to Receive Help from Social Security: Social Security will complete the application forms and request medical evidence based on your provided information. If Social Security decides that the medical information needed to decide is unavailable from existing sources, SSA will pay for you to have a doctor’s exam or test and make the appointment for you. If you need a medical exam or test, you must go to the exam or test to receive SSI. SSA may also pay your travel costs to attend the exam or test.

You Have The Right to a Representative: You may appoint someone such as a Social Security Disability Attorney to help you with your SSI claim and accompany you at your hearing (although many hearings take place over the phone or using video-teleconferencing equipment). Social Security will work with your attorney as it would work with you.

You Have the Right to a Notice: Social Security will notify you in writing of any determination about your eligibility or any change in your benefit amount. SSA will also send copies of all notices to your attorney if you have one. Each notice affecting your eligibility or change in SSI benefit amount will explain your appeal rights.

You Have the Right to Examine Your File: Upon request, you or your attorney may examine and get a copy of the information in your case file. You or your attorney may also review and copy the laws, regulations, and policy statements used in deciding your case.

You Have the Right to Appeal: If you disagree with a decision made on your claim, you can appeal it. The steps you can take are explained in our post about how to appeal after a Social Security Disability denial.

How Much You Could Receive

For 2024, the maximum monthly SSI payment is $943 for an individual and $1,415 for a couple. Your monthly payment amount will be based on your income and resources, as described above.

If you are approved for SSI, you must receive your payments electronically. Payments may be made via direct deposit, the Direct Express® card program, or an Electronic Transfer Account. For more information, visit the U.S. Treasury website.

The income you can receive each month while still receiving SSI depends partly on where you live. You can call Social Security to find out the income limits in your state.

You May Be Able to Get Other Help

If you get SSI, you may also be able to get help from your state or county. For example, you may be able to get Medicaid, food, or other social services. Call your local social services department or public welfare office for information about the services available in your community.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

If you get SSI, you might be able to get help through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps. If everyone in your home is applying for or getting SSI, you can apply for SNAP at a Social Security office. If you do not live in a home where everyone is applying for or getting SSI, visit the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to find out how to apply.

Medicaid

When you get SSI, you also may get Medicaid, which helps pay doctor and hospital bills. Your local welfare or medical assistance office can give you information about Medicaid.

Help Paying for Medicare

If you get Medicare and have a low income and few resources, your state may pay your Medicare premiums and, in some cases, other Medicare expenses such as deductibles and coinsurance. Only your state can decide if you qualify. Contact your state or local welfare office or Medicaid agency to determine if you do.

You also may be able to get extra help paying for the annual deductibles, monthly premiums, and prescription co-payments related to the Medicare prescription drug program (Part D). You may qualify for extra help if you have limited income (tied to the federal poverty level) and limited resources. These income and resource limits change yearly and differ from the SSI income and resource limits. You can contact Social Security for the current numbers.

If you have both Medicaid with prescription drug coverage and Medicare, Medicare, and SSI or if your state pays for your Medicare premiums, you automatically will get this extra help and don’t need to apply.

Returning to Work While on SSI

If you work, there are special rules to help you. You may be able to keep getting SSI payments while you work. As you earn more money, your SSI payments may be reduced or stopped, but you may be able to keep your Medicaid coverage.

You also may be able to set aside some money for a work goal or to go to school. In this case, the money you set aside will not reduce the amount of your SSI.

Blind or disabled people who apply for SSI may get free special services to help them work. These services may include counseling, job training, and help looking for work.

Things to Remember

• Do not wait to apply. If you think you may be eligible for SSI, contact Social Security immediately. The earliest SSA will pay SSI is the month after the filing date of your application or the month after you first meet all the eligibility requirements, whichever is later. SSA may use the date you contact them as the filing date. If you do not have everything SSA needs, they will give you time to provide them.
• Social Security needs to see the original documents. If you do not have an original document, SSA can accept a certified copy from the office that issued the original document. SSA does not accept photocopies. They will return the document to you.
• Try to keep a copy of anything you send SSA. Keep track of the dates you send information to SSA or talk to SSA, as well as the name of the Social Security employee with whom you spoke.

Get Help From a Social Security Disability Attorney

As stated above, you can appoint an attorney to represent you in your SSI claim. Mr. Ortiz is an experienced Social Security Disability Attorney. Contact him at (888) 321-8131 for a free case evaluation.