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1 1 (April 14, 2023)

handle is hein.crs/govelhc0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Service Iifrning the Iegislative debate since 1914 Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Updated April 14, 2023 Overview Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a federal assistance program that provides monthly cash payments to aged, blind, or disabled individuals who have limited income and resources (i.e., assets). The program is administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA) and intended to provide eligible individuals with a guaranteed minimum income for meeting basic needs, such as food and shelter. SSI provides a flat benefit, which is reduced by any countable income. In February 2023, SSI provided federally administered payments to more than 7.5 million recipients, including about 1.0 million blind or disabled children under 18 years old, 4.2 million blind or disabled adults aged 18- 64, and 2.4 million seniors aged 65 or older (Figure 1). Figure 1. SSI Recipients, by Age Group, February 2023 Source: SSA, Monthly Statistical Snapshot, Table 3. Notes: Components may not sum to 100% due to rounding. Ehigib ty 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. Categorial Requirements The term aged refers to individuals aged 65 or older. The term blind refers to individuals of any age who have 20/200 or less vision in the better eye with the use of a correcting lens or tunnel vision of 20 degrees or less. Adults aged 18 or older are considered disabled if they are unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity (SGA) due to any medically determinable physical or mental impairment that (1) is expected to result in death or (2) has lasted, or is expected to last, for at least 12 consecutive months. SSA uses an earnings limit to determine if a person's work activity constitutes SGA, which for 2023 is $1,470 per month. (This amount is adjusted annually for average wage growth.) 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 consideration their age, education, and work experience. Children under 18 years old are considered disabled if they have a medically determinable physical or mental impairment that results in marked and severe functional limitations and that (1) is expected to result in death or (2) has lasted, or is expected to last, for at least 12 consecutive months. Children typically qualify as disabled if they have one or more 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 be financially eligible for SSI, a person's countable income and resources-gross income and resources minus applicable exclusions-must be within certain limits. In general, SSI counts only the income and resources of the individual. However, SSI may deem (i.e., attribute) a portion of the income and resources of an ineligible spouse or parent who lives in the same household in determining the individual's eligibility and payment amount. The countable income limit is set at the same level as the federal benefit rate (FBR), which is the maximum monthly SSI payment. In 2023, the FBR is $914 per month for an individual and $1,371 per month for a couple if both members are SSI eligible. The FBR is adjusted annually for inflation by the same cost-of-living adjustment applied to Social Security benefits. Countable income is subtracted from the FBR, dollar for dollar, in determining program eligibility and the payment amount (if any). SSI counts most types of income, including earned and unearned income. Earned income includes wages, net earnings from self-employment, and other compensation related to work. Unearned income is all other income, such as Social Security, veterans' benefits, periodic annuity or pension payments, and cash from others. SSI also counts in- kind support and maintenance (i.e., food or shelter provided by others). Certain income is not counted, 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 earned income above $65. (These exclusions are not adjusted for inflation.) SSI also excludes federal tax refunds and credits as well as federal food and housing assistance. The countable resource limit is $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple. (These limits are not adjusted for inflation.) 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 the person's support and maintenance. Resources include checking or savings accounts, stocks, bonds, individual retirement accounts or 401(k) plans that cannot be claimed as periodic payments, and certain types of trusts. Certain resources are not

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