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Supplemental Security Income PaymentsSSA Publication No. 05-10702-EN, Supplemental
Security Income Payments (English), January 2005 (view
pdf)
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What Is SSI?SSI stands for Supplemental Security Income. It is a program run by Social Security. SSI provides monthly payments to people who are elderly, blind or disabled and who have little or no income and assets. Children, as well as adults, can get payments because of blindness or disability. To get SSI, you must be elderly, blind or disabled:
If you get SSI, you usually can get food stamps and Medicaid, too. Medicaid
helps pay doctor and hospital bills. |
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Things you own and income you have To get SSI, the things you own and income you have must be below certain
amounts. |
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Resources you ownWe do not count everything you own when deciding if you can get SSI. For example, we do not count the home you live in and some of your personal belongings. Usually, we do not count your car. Resources we count:
You may be able to get SSI if your resources that we count are no more than:
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Income you haveIncome is the money you have coming in such as:
Income also includes non-cash items you receive such as food, clothing
and shelter. You can have some income and still get SSI. |
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Other rules you should knowBefore you can get SSI, you must live in the United States or the Northern Mariana Islands and be in one of the following groups:
Contact your local Social Security office for more information about
the SSI eligibility rules for non-citizens. Ask for a copy of the fact
sheet, Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
For Noncitizens (Publication No. 05-11051). |
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How you can apply for SSI Call us at 1-800-772-1213 for an appointment with a
Social Security representative who will help you apply or visit your local
Social Security Office. Parents or guardians can apply for blind or disabled
children under age 18. |
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What to bringYou should have the following items before you apply. Even if you do not have all of the things listed, sign up anyway. The people in the Social Security office can help you get whatever is needed. Please bring:
You also should bring your checkbook or other papers that show your
bank, credit union or financial institution account number so we can have
your payments deposited directly into your account. Direct deposit protects
payments from loss, theft or mail delay. The money is always on time and
ready to use without making a trip to the bank. Only people who do not
have a bank account receive checks. |
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A word about Social Security benefits Social Security also pays retirement,, survivors and disability benefits
to people who have worked long enough under Social Security. For more
information about these benefits, ask for the publications, Retirement
and Survivors Benefits (Publication No. 05-10700-EN) or Disability
Benefits (Publication No. 05-10701-EN). |
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Contacting Social SecurityFor more information and to find copies of our publications, visit our website at www.socialsecurity.gov or call toll-free 1-800-772-1213 (for the deaf or hard of hearing, call our TTY number, 1-800-325-0778). We can answer specific questions and provide information by automated phone service 24 hours a day. If you need an interpreter to conduct your Social Security business, we will provide one free of charge. Interpreter services are available whether you talk to us by phone or in the Social Security office. Call our toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213. If you speak a language other than English, press 1 and stay on the line until a representative answers. An interpreter will be contacted to help with your call. If your business cannot be completed by phone, we will make an appointment for you at a local Social Security office and arrange for an interpreter to be there at the time of your visit. We treat all calls confidentially. We also want to make sure you receive accurate and courteous service. That is why we have a second Social Security representative monitor some telephone calls. |
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Last reviewed or modified Monday Jan 14, 2008 |