Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

Supplemental Security Income is for individuals who are either aged (65+), blind or disabled AND have limited income and resources.

Limited Income

For the purposes of SSI, “income” includes the following: money earned from work, money received from other sources such as Social Security benefits, workers’ compensation, Veterans benefits, unemployment benefits and friends or family, and free housing and food.

Limited Resources

Resources include cash, bank accounts, stocks, U.S. Savings Bonds, property, vehicles, life insurance and anything else that can be converted to cash. Certain resources are excluded. Your primary residence, one vehicle, personal property, household goods, and burial plots are excluded meaning that they don’t count as a resource for SSI purposes. There are additional excluded resources but these are the most common. The current SSI resource limit for an individual is $2,000 and $3,000 for a couple.

Citizen/Non-Citizen Status

In order to receive SSI you must either be a U.S. citizen or a non–citizen who meets the alien eligibility criteria under the 1996 legislation and its amendments. This means a non-citizen must be a “qualified alien” and meet a condition that allows non-citizens to receive SSI benefits. There are also certain exemptions to the citizen/qualified alien status. Contact us if you have questions about qualifying under non-citizen status.