Under a new rule, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will update the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program to expand access to benefits. First, the administration will change the term “public assistance household.” ” when deciding who can receive benefits to include households that receive the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP benefits), as well as families where not all members currently receive public assistance.
Doing so will potentially allow many more people to qualify for SSI and could increase SSI payment amounts for citizens with benefits.
“I am committed to making systemic changes to help people access the critical benefits they need, including SSI,” Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley said in a statement. “By simplifying our policies and including an additional program aimed at low-income families, like SNAP, we are removing important barriers to accessing SSI, these changes promote greater equity in our programs.”
How SSI Works and Who’s Eligible for the Benefits
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) provides monthly payments to people, those who have reduced or no income, disabled people or older adults, 65 years of age or older, these are the requirements stipulated by the Administration, generally SSI is for people who earn no more than $1,971 from their job monthly.
Your resources must not exceed $2,000 for single people or $3,000 for couples. (If you are a parent applying for a child, these numbers increase by $2,000).
For people under age 64, you must have a disability that affects your ability to do work for a year or more, results in death, or severely limits your daily activity (for children with disabilities). You must also show that your income is less than $1,550 monthly in the month you apply. Or, you must be 65 years or older.
The Definition of a “Public Assistance Household” Is Set to Be Changed
The new rule, which will take effect on September 30, 2024, makes a change in the definition of a public assistance (PA) household to one that has both an SSI applicant or beneficiary and at least one other member of the household that has one or more of the listed means-tested public income maintenance (PIM) payments, this is a change from the previous rule, which called for all members of a household to have public assistance for that the home would fall among the characteristics to qualify as a PA home.
The official document states: “We expect this rule to reduce the amount of income we would consider for SSI applicants and recipients because we will no longer consider income from ineligible spouses and parents living in the same household: the value of SNAP benefits, which they receive” ; “any income that was counted or excluded in calculating the amount of that payment or any income that was used to determine the amount of SNAP benefits for another person.”
Since 1980, SNAP benefits was the first PIM benefit to be added to the agency’s definition of a PA household; on average, 41.2 million people in 21.6 million American households received SNAP benefits monthly in the fiscal year 2022, and about 7.5 million people received SSI payments in December 2022, the new changes will allow millions of citizens of the United States that receive the benefits of SSI payments and reduce the administrative burden for low-income households.
