Understanding Supplemental Security Income
SSI Spotlight on Reporting Your Earnings
to Social Security
2008 Edition

Earnings are wages and self–employment incomeincome that you get from working.

Yes. If you work and get SSI benefits, then you must report your earnings. If you have a representative payeerepresentative payee, then your representative payeerepresentative payee must report your earnings.

If you participate in the Ticket to Work ProgramTicket to Work Program, you should also report your earnings to the employment network or State vocational rehabilitation agency that is helping you reach your work goals.

Yes. Sometimes you must report someone else's earnings.

Here are a few examples:

	your spouse works and lives with you and has earnings;
	a child getting SSI lives with a parent who has earnings; or
	you are a non–citizen and have a sponsor, and your sponsor has earnings (even if your sponsor doesn't live with you).

You need to report the following:

	monthly gross wages (the amount before taxes or other deductions are subtracted);
	if you start or stop working;
	increases or decreases in your wages or self–employment income;
	if you start or stop a second or third job;
	work expenses related to your disability; and
	if you are blind, any work expenses.

We need to see:

	every pay stub, including pay stubs for overtime, vacations, and bonuses;
	if self–employed, copies of your Federal Income Tax Forms Schedule SE, Schedule C, Schedule C–EZ, or Schedule F;
	receipts for work expenses related to your disability;
	if you are blind, receipts for any work expense; and
	receipts for expenses paid to reach your Plan to Achieve Self–SupportPlan to Achieve Self–Support (PASS) occupational goal.

We will give you a "Your Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Folder" to help you keep records that we need to see (e.g., pay stubs).

When you start or stop work or when there is a change in your earnings, you need to report this information right away.

This information must be reported no later than the 10th day of the month after the month of change. For example, if you get SSI benefits and start working on May 22, then you must report this information no later than June 10. You must continually report your earnings by the 10th day of the month following the month of earnings.

You may call us at 1–800–772–1213. Or you may call, visit, or write your local Social Security office.