What You Should Know About Supplemental Security Income

The SSI (Supplemental Security Income) is a program that pays cash benefits monthly to disabled children and adults or adults over 65. SSI differs from SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance). The latter is a program that pays benefits to disabled individuals who have paid for FICA taxes throughout their work history. This program remains a vital financial support source, especially to poor-income families of children with special medical care needs and disability conditions. This federal program in the US provides participants with monthly stipends to help them meet their basic needs. It would be best if you also understood that some states also provide supplementary income to those in need, coupled with federal SSI.

This post will cover some basic fundamental concepts of SSI.

SSI and SSDI: What’s the Difference?

Ideally, SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) pays benefits to persons and specific members of their family if they’re insured. In simple terms, this means you worked long enough and paid the required Social Security taxes. However, SSDI doesn’t cover children with disabilities. Following a disability claim and understanding between the two programs means you need to work with reputable law firms to increase your eligibility chances. While these two terms are sometimes used interchangeably, they have unique criteria and applications. For this outline, we will focus on SSI for disabled individuals. But, to clarify further, SSI makes payments to children with special needs under 18 years. Additionally, eligibility is based on individual or family income and assets.

Understanding Income Limits for SSI

The FBR (Federal Benefit Rate) details both the SSI income limit for eligibility and the max monthly SSI stipend. For instance – in 2021 – the FBR has currently set monthly payments at $794 for a sole individual and $1,191 for couples. The FBR is expected to increase steadily in the coming years, coupled with the Social Security cost of living. This helps to address the rising rate of inflation. An extra $397 may be claimed monthly for an “essential individual” as payment for essential primary care for the individual receiving cash assistance. If you want to become eligible for SSI, an individual or couple’s combined income shouldn’t exceed the monthly SSI payment as detailed by the FBR.

Medical Disability in Children Explained

A child under the age of 18 is considered disabled if he or she has a medically determinable mental or physical impairment or a combination of both impairments. The impairments should cause marked and severe functional limitations. Additionally, the condition should and can be expected to cause death or a condition that can be shown to last for not less than one year. The impairment should be shown to result from physiological, anatomical, or psychological issues and should be accompanied by relevant laboratory and clinical diagnostics. In most cases, this area causes plenty of differences, especially during the application process.

What about Presumptive Disability?

Any presumptive disability condition ensures payments begin quickly. Why? This happens when it’s established there’s a strong likelihood the child will be found to be disabled once the evidence is obtained. Certain conditions in children may meet requirements for a presumptive-disability decision and are made at the local SSA office. These health ailments include but are not limited to: total deafness and blindness, down syndrome, stroke, symptomatic HIV infections, and terminal cancer (with a life expectancy of fewer than six months), among others. Any child deemed to be disabled under a presumptive disability decision can receive SSI benefits for up to six months. This happens while the formal evaluation of eligibility is conducted.

State SSI

Some states will also add money to the federal SSI payments. This extra money increases both the allowed income level for eligibility and the monthly SSI payment. However, the amount of the supplement will vary from state to state. You can check from the SSA website if your state offers a state supplement.

The Transitioned Youth

SSI can be a vital source of financial support and health benefits for young adults with disabilities. After a person with a disability becomes an adult at 18 years, the DDS agency will have to determine his or her eligibility for SSI using the adult definition of disability. In simple terms, this means the inability to perform SGA. Many children lose their SSI eligibility because of a change in disability criteria and are also based on disability and financial resources.

If you’re trying to figure out how much income is applicable or the SSI income limit, we recommend that you ask Social Security or apply for SSI. Living with a child with a disability is not easy, and you need all the support you can get. This involves physical support and financial support too. We hope this guide will help you better understand everything about SSI.