The Social Security Administration (SSA) recently announced an increase in payments for this year in September, with the goal of making significant changes to address certain issues and remove obstacles for Americans interested in applying for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). This strategic move will prevent the reduction of food assistance payments to certain recipients, thereby allowing recipients to receive additional money in their Social Security benefit payments.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a federal benefit program that provides monthly payments to people over age 65, as well as adults and children who are blind or disabled. These benefits supplement the income of individuals receiving Seniors, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) benefits. As of January 2023, 7.4 million individuals received monthly SSI payments averaging $654. Improvements to the program seek to limit disclosure, unpredictability, and errors in monthly payments.
New Social Security Eligibility Requirements for SSI Recipients
In addition to the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), the Social Security Administration is seeking to make additional changes to the SSI program that could increase monthly payments for certain recipients. To make it easier to apply for SSI benefits, SSA wants to exclude food from the In-Kind Support and Maintenance (ISM) calculation. This significant adjustment is intended to reduce the reporting burden on the federal agency and eliminate barriers for those applying for SSI.
Previously, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) applicants had to meet basic eligibility requirements, which included monthly employment income of less than $1,971 and total resources of no more than $2,000 or $3,000. According to the Social Security Administration, resources often include cash or assets such as stocks, bonds, bank accounts and real estate. The new rule eliminates concerns about food or groceries from relatives or friends, allowing SSI users to enjoy their monthly benefits without worrying about their money.
Social Security’s Complete Schedule of SSI Benefits
Social Security has implemented a new policy that will help increase the monthly income of disabled SSI recipients. This will also make it easier for applicants, recipients, and agency staff to understand and administer the policy, while reducing the amount of information they must provide about food assistance from friends and family members.
This will improve payment accuracy and save administrative costs by reducing the time spent administering food assistance through In-Kind Support and Maintenance (ISM). These important changes to SSI eligibility requirements are designed to alleviate one of the most confusing and cruel rules affecting disabled SSI recipients.
SSI recipients will receive a double payment next month because June 1 falls on a Saturday. When this happens, the Social Security Administration sends the payment on the preceding business day, which in this case is May 31. For more details on Social Security payments, please visit the official schedule of benefit payments for 2024.
SSI payment date | SSI payment day |
May 1st | Wednesday |
May 31st (Instead of June 1st) | Friday |
July 1st | Monday |
August 1st | Thursday |
August 30th (Instead of September 1st) | Friday |
October 1st | Tuesday |
November 1st | Friday |
November 29th (Instead of December 1st) | Friday |
Social Security eligible requirements for SSI (Supplemental Security Income)
Social Security benefits can be difficult to obtain due to life’s pressures and obligations, as well as the complexity of the rules and bureaucracy involved. However, some general requirements must be met before applying for SSI benefits:
- You are 65 years old or older.
- US citizen: You are a United States citizen or noncitizen who fulfills the Department of Homeland Security’s definition of a “qualified immigrant.”
- Little to no income: The current monthly income limit is $1,971, which includes salary, benefits, unemployment insurance, and Social Security, with possible increases for partners.
- Little to no resources: this essentially refers to your assets. In other words, cash, vehicles, properties, licenses, or any other valuable that you may possess. In this case, the limits are:
- $2,000 for individuals.
- $3,000 for couples.