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Congressional Research Serice
Inforrming the legislative debate since 1914
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
Updated March 22, 2018
Overview
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a means-tested
federal entitlement program administered by the Social
Security Administration (SSA) that provides monthly cash
benefits to the aged, blind, and disabled. The program is
intended to provide a minimum level of income to adults
who have difficulty meeting their basic living expenses due
to age or disability and who have little or no Social Security
or other income. It is also designed to supplement the
support and maintenance of needy children with severe
disabilities. SSI is commonly known as a program of last
resort because claimants must first apply for all other
benefits for which they may be eligible; cash assistance is
awarded only to those whose income and resources (i.e.,
assets) from most other sources are within prescribed limits.
In January 2018, SSA issued federally administered
payments to 8.2 million SSI recipients, including 1.2
million children under 18 years old, 4.8 million adults aged
18-64, and 2.2 million seniors aged 65 or older (Figure 1).
Figure I. SSI Recipients, by Age, January 2018
Source: SSA, Monthly Statistical Snapshot, January 2018, Table 3.
Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for SSI, a person must (1) be aged, blind, or
disabled as defined in federal law; (2) have limited income
and resources; and (3) meet certain other requirements.
Categorical Requirements
Aged refers to individuals who are age 65 or older. The
blind are individuals of any age with 20/200 or less vision
in the better eye with the use of a correcting lens or tunnel
vision of 20 degrees or less. Individuals are disabled if they
meet SSI's age-specific definition of disability.
* Disabled Adults. Individuals aged 18 or older must be
unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity
(SGA) due to any medically determinable physical or
mental impairment that is expected to last for at least
one year or result in death. In 2018, the SGA earnings
limit is $1,180 per month. Adults generally qualify as
disabled if their impairments are of such severity that
they are unable to do any kind of substantial work that
exists in the national economy, taking into account their
age, education, and work experience.
* Disabled Children. Individuals under age 18 must have
a medically determinable physical or mental impairment
that results in marked and severe functional limitations
and is expected to last for at least one year or to result in
death. Children typically qualify as disabled if they have
severe impairments that limit their ability to engage in
age-appropriate childhood activities at home, in
childcare, at school, or in the community. In addition,
their earnings must not exceed the SGA limit.
Financial Requirements
To qualify for a monthly SSI payment, a person's countable
income (gross income minus all applicable exclusions)
must be less than the federal benefit rate (FBR), which is
the maximum monthly SSI benefit payable to qualified
individuals and couples. In 2018, the FBR is $750 per
month for an individual living independently (or 74% of the
federal poverty level [FPL]) and $1,125 per month for a
couple living independently if both members are SSI
eligible (or 82% of FPL). The FBR is adjusted annually for
inflation by the same cost-of-living adjustment (COLA)
applied to Social Security benefits. Countable income is
subtracted from the FBR in determining SSI eligibility and
payment amount.
The SSI program counts most types of income, including
support and maintenance furnished in cash or in kind. The
income of certain ineligible family members (such as a
spouse or parent) may be deemed available to meet the
needs of the SSI recipient, and as such, may be included in
the recipient's countable income. The program excludes
certain income in determining SSI eligibility and the
payment amount, such as the first $20 per month of any
income (earned or unearned) and the first $65 per month of
earned income plus one-half of any earnings above $65.
Unearned income refers to income not derived from current
work, such as Social Security, veterans' benefits, interest
income, and cash from friends or relatives. Earned income
includes wages, net earnings from self-employment, and
other compensation related to work. Certain in-kind support
is also excluded, such as food and housing assistance.
The limit for countable resources is $2,000 for an individual
and $3,000 for a couple. Resources are cash or other liquid
assets or any real or personal property that a person owns
and could convert to cash to be used for his or her support
and maintenance. Resources include bank savings and
checking accounts, stocks, bonds, IRA and 401(k) plans
under certain conditions, and certain types of trusts. The
resources of ineligible family members may be deemed
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