The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for January 2024 will be sent to eligible recipients, offering payments that can reach $967 for single individuals, while the maximum for spouses is $1,450. For an essential person, the limit amount is $484 per month, according to data provided by the Social Security Administration (SSA).
When we total those amounts annually, an individual eligible for the maximum will receive throughout 2025 up to $11,604.53 (increased from $11,321.49 in 2024). Meanwhile, an eligible individual with a spouse may qualify to receive up to $17,404.87 (increased from $16,980.36 the previous year). All these increments are impacted by the 2025 cost of living adjustment (COLA), which will be 2.5%.
An SSI payment arrives on December 31: here’s why it’s coming early
The Social Security Administration (SSA) is committed to delivering these benefits to eligible citizens on the first day of each month. However, as a rule, the agency does not send payments on weekends or holidays. So, the payment of January 1, 2025 will be brought forward to Tuesday, December 31, so that you can welcome the new year with money in your bank account.
The 2025 calendar includes five occasions in which beneficiaries will receive payments early, due to this regulation. Thus, payments corresponding to February, March, June, September, and November will be made before the first day of those months, strictly following the rule of not sending payments on non-working days or holidays.
Who qualifies for Supplemental Security Income?
To be eligible for the Supplemental Security Income program, applicants must meet certain criteria. Generally, they are considered conditions that begin with suffering a severe disability that significantly limits your ability to work.
Financial resources are also reviewed by the SSA: applicants must have limited income and financial resources. This includes assets such as cash, property and other assets. Additionally, they must be US citizens or legal permanent residents and, although in most cases the beneficiaries are adults with disabilities, certain minors with similar conditions may also qualify.
Some states provide additional SSI allowances
In addition to the SSI money you can qualify for, there are also states that offer financial allowances when qualifying individuals cannot make ends meet and meet all their expenses for a decent life.
In these places, beneficiaries must contact the state administration for information about payments. The states that offer this type of support are: Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio , Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
On the other hand, there are states and the District of Columbia where the Social Security Administration manages the state supplement. In these areas, beneficiaries can contact each other to obtain information about the total amount of their benefits. The states that are part of this group are: California, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Iowa, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont.
Notably, in some of these states, dual administrations allow different categories of supplemental payments to be handled by the Social Security Administration and state governments. On this particular point, it should also be noted that the following states do not provide an additional supplement to SSI allocations: Northern Mariana Islands, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, West Virginia and North Dakota.