Who is entitled to supplemental security income

Be a child living with a parent in the military service assigned to permanent duty ashore anywhere outside of the U. Be a student temporarily abroad for the purpose of conducting studies as part of an educational program. You are ineligible to receive SSI benefits for any month during which you have an unsatisfied felony OR arrest warrant for:. In addition, we cannot pay you any retroactive payments if you have one of these unsatisfied felony or arrest warrants.

We will hold your retroactive payments until you contact SSA and provide proof that you satisfied the felony or arrest warrant. If you are receiving SSI and you go to prison or jail, this also includes correctional institutions, such as detention centers, halfway houses, boot camps, etc. In addition, we cannot pay any retroactive payments for benefits due before you were incarcerated. We will hold the retroactive payments until you contact SSA and provide proof that you are no longer a prisoner.

If you are in any institution for a whole month that is run by a Federal, State or local government, you are not eligible for SSI for that month unless an exception applies such as residence in a public emergency shelter for the homeless or publicly operated community residence. If you expect to leave the institution, you may use the prerelease procedure described in the SSI spotlight on the Prerelease Procedure. If you give away a resource or sell it for less than it is worth in order to reduce your resources below the SSI resource limit, you may be ineligible for SSI for up to 36 months.

SSA received fewer applications than expected in FY , due to office closures and other disruptions due to the pandemic. SSI is a federal program administered by the Social Security Administration SSA that ensures a minimum level of income for poor people who are elderly or disabled.

To qualify, SSI enrollees must have low income, limited assets, and either be age 65 or older or have an impaired ability to work at a substantial gainful level according to strict federal rules. The maximum SSI benefit is set by Congress.

Instead, to qualify for SSDI, enrollees must have a sufficient work history generally, 40 quarters and meet the strict federal disability rules. Over one-quarter are seniors, and the remainder are children.

Grouped into broad categories, 40 percent of nonelderly adult SSI enrollees had a physical disability as of December Figure 3. People age 65 and older are excluded as they can qualify for SSI based on their age rather than disability status.

One-third of nonelderly adult SSI enrollees qualified based on a mental health disability. The most prevalent types of mental health disabilities were schizophrenic and other psychotic disorders, followed by mood disorders such as depression or bipolar disorder.

Within this category, the most prevalent type was intellectual disability, followed by autism. One in five child SSI enrollees have a physical disability. The most prevalent types of physical disabilities among child SSI enrollees were neurological disorders or loss of vision, speech or hearing, followed by congenital disorders.

Less than 10 percent of child SSI enrollees have a mental health disability. Within this category, the most prevalent disability types were mood disorders, followed by organic mental disorders. In addition to meeting the disability criteria described below , an SSI enrollee must meet several non-medical criteria, including having a low income.

SSI benefits are awarded every month. You are not eligible for additional benefits for your children. For those under 65 years of age, you must establish that you are both completely disabled and that you do not have adequate other means of support to qualify for SSI benefits.

This means proving that your disability makes it impossible for you to perform any work, including both work which you have done before and any work for which you could otherwise be trained.

The underlying criterion for SSI eligibility is you must be a United States citizen or a lawful resident of the country. Lawful residents that are not qualified as United States citizens must meet the guidelines established by a law and its subsequent amendments.

A lawful resident lives in one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, or the Northern Mariana Islands. Lawful residents cannot receive any other type of cash benefits from the United States government if they expect to qualify for SSI benefits eligibility. If you are at least 65 years old, you might qualify to receive financial assistance under the SSI program. For blind and disabled applicants, you must demonstrate proof of your physical limitations.

Finally, the SSI program requires qualified applicants to earn a limited income and possess few financial resources.

Because the SSA changes the criteria that define limited income, you should consult with a Social Security attorney to ensure the limited income that you earn does not exceed the maximum threshold. Otherwise, even if you are 65 years old, your limited income might exceed the maximum allowed by the SSA. The SSA defines limited resources by first calculating the cash you have on hand to pay for daily expenses.

Then, the federal agency places a value on any land and other types of personal property that you own. Personal property includes motor vehicles and any asset that you can quickly liquidate into cash. A life insurance policy that contains a cash value is also considered an asset that is easily liquidated into cash.

You might also qualify for SSI benefits if the field visual limitation in your better eye is not greater than 20 degrees. Disabled adults must be unable to complete any type of substantial gainful activity SGA. This means you must prove you cannot work for a period that is not less than 12 consecutive months.

Through its Compassionate Allowance Program CAP , the SSA provides immediate financial assistance for applicants that meet the minimum standards established for defining a disability. Countable assets are basically anything of value which you own except for the home which you live in and one vehicle. Your assets include such things as money in savings and checking accounts, IRAs and other retirement accounts, cash value in life insurance policies, vehicles other than one vehicle for transportation , and virtually anything else of significant value.

SSI is available to those under 18 as well. The limit varies based on the number of working adults in the household as well as the number of children that are ineligible for disability benefits in the household. Some people qualify for both. The main difference between the programs is that SSDI is an insurance program designed for those who had been working prior to their disability.

SSI is also for disabled persons, but is specifically for those who have demonstrated a financial need.