Skip to content Social Security Online |
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) |
www.socialsecurity.gov |
Understanding SSI Home Page |
Understanding Supplemental Security Income
|
WHAT IS INCOME?Earned Income is wages, earnings from self–employment, certain royalties and honoraria, and sheltered workshop payments. Unearned Income is all income that is not earned, such as Social Security benefits, pensions, State disability payments, unemployment benefits, interest income, and cash from friends and relatives. In–Kind Income is food or shelter that you get for free or less than its fair market value. Deemed Income is the part of the income of your spouse with whom you live, your parent(s) with whom you live, or your sponsor (if you are an alien), which we use to compute your SSI benefit amount. |
WHY IS INCOME IMPORTANT IN THE SSI PROGRAM?Generally, the more income you have, the less your SSI benefit will be. If your countable income is over the allowable limit, you cannot receive SSI benefits. Some of your income may not count as income for the SSI program. |
WHAT INCOME DOES NOT COUNT FOR SSI?Examples of payments or services we do not count as income for the SSI program include but are not limited to:
|
HOW DOES YOUR INCOME AFFECT YOUR SSI BENEFIT?Step 1: We subtract any income that we do not count from your total gross income. The remaining amount is your "countable income". Step 2: We subtract your "countable income" from the SSI Federal benefit rate. The result is your monthly SSI benefit as follows: 1) Your Total Income 2) SSI Federal benefit rate |
THE FOLLOWING EXAMPLES ARE BASED ON SAMPLE |
EXAMPLE B – SSI Federal Benefit with EARNED INCOMETotal monthly income = $317 (Gross wages) 1) $317 (Gross wages) 2) $674 (SSI Federal benefit rate) |
EXAMPLE C – SSI Federal Benefit and STATE SUPPLEMENT with UNEARNED INCOMEThe facts are the same as example A, but federally administered State supplementation is involved. 1) $300 (Social Security benefit) 2) $674 (SSI Federal benefit rate) 3) $394 (SSI Federal benefit) |
EXAMPLE D – SSI Federal Benefit and STATE SUPPLEMENT with EARNED INCOMETotal monthly income = $317 (Gross wages) 1) $317 (Gross wages) 2) $674 (SSI Federal benefit rate) 3) $558 (SSI Federal benefit)
|
WHEN DOES DEEMED INCOME APPLY?
|
WHEN DOES DEEMED INCOME NOT APPLY?
|
Back | Top | Next |
THIS INFORMATION IS GENERAL. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), OR CONTACT YOUR LOCAL SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICE. |
Privacy Policy | Website Policies & Other Important Information | Site Map |