How much you could get from SSI

The maximum monthly SSI payment for 2024 is $943 for an individual and $1,415 for a couple. Your amount may be lower based on your income, certain family members’ income, your living situation, and other factors.

How income affects your payment

For every $2 you earn from work, we reduce your SSI payment by about $1. Work includes:

• A job

• Self-employment

• Any activity that earns money

For every $1 you get from non-work sources, we reduce your SSI payment by about $1. Non-work sources includes:

• Disability benefits

• Unemployment payments

• Pensions

If you live with a spouse, their income may affect your payment.

Children on SSI who live with their parents may have their payments lowered based on their income or their parents' income.

Learn more about how income affects your payment

SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME (SSI) INCOME

WHAT IS INCOME?

Income is any item an individual receives in cash or in-kind that can be used to meet their need for food or shelter. Income includes, for the purposes of SSI, the receipt of any item which can be applied, either directly or by sale or conversion, to meet basic needs of food or shelter.

Types of income for SSI purposes:

• Earned Income is wages, net earnings from self–employment, certain royalties, honoraria, and sheltered workshop payments.

• Unearned Income is all income that is not earned such as Social Security benefits, pensions, State disability payments, unemployment benefits, interest income, dividends, and cash from friends and relatives.

• In-Kind Income is food, shelter, or both that you get for free or for less than its fair market value.

• Deemed Income is the part of the income of your spouse with whom you live, your parent(s) with whom you live, or your sponsor (if you are a noncitizen), which we use to compute your SSI benefit amount.

WHY IS INCOME IMPORTANT IN THE SSI PROGRAM?

Generally, the more countable income you have, the less your SSI benefit will be. If your countable income is over the allowable limit, you cannot receive SSI benefits. Some of your income may not count as income for the SSI program.

WHAT INCOME DOES NOT COUNT FOR SSI?

Examples of payments or services we do not count as income for the SSI program include but are not limited to:

• the first $20 of most income received in a month;

  the first $65 of earnings and one–half of earnings over $65 received in a month;

  the value of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps) received;

  income tax refunds;

  home energy assistance;

  assistance based on need funded by a State or local government, or an Indian tribe;

  small amounts of income received irregularly or infrequently;

  interest or dividends earned on countable resources or resources excluded under other Federal laws;

  grants, scholarships, fellowships, or gifts used for tuition and educational expenses;

  food or shelter based on need provided by nonprofit agencies;

  loans to you (cash or in–kind) that you have to repay;

  money someone else spends to pay your expenses for items other than food or shelter (for example, someone pays your telephone or medical bills);

  income set aside under a Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS). See the SSI Spotlight on Plan to Achieve Self–Support;

  earnings up to $2,290 per month to a maximum of $9,230 per year (effective January 2024) for a student under age 22. See the SSI Spotlight on Student Earned Income Exclusion;

  the cost of impairment–related work expenses for items or services that a disabled person needs in order to work. See the SSI Spotlight on Impairment–Related Work Expenses;

  the cost of work expenses that a blind person incurs in order to work. See the SSI Spotlight on Special SSI Rule for Blind People Who Work;

  disaster assistance;

  the first $2,000 of compensation received per calendar year for participating in certain clinical trials;

  refundable Federal and advanced tax credits received on or after January 1, 2010; and

  certain exclusions on Indian trust fund payments paid to American Indians who are members of a federally recognized tribe

HOW DOES YOUR INCOME AFFECT YOUR SSI BENEFIT?

Step 1: We subtract any income that we do not count from your total gross income. The remaining amount is your "countable income."

Step 2: We subtract your "countable income" from the SSI Federal benefit rate. The result is your monthly SSI Federal benefit as follows:

1) Your Total Income
- Your income that we do not count
= Your countable income

2) SSI Federal benefit rate
- Your countable income
= Your SSI Federal benefit

THE FOLLOWING EXAMPLES ARE BASED ON SAMPLE DOLLAR AMOUNTS:

EXAMPLE A – SSI Federal Benefit with only UNEARNED INCOME

Total monthly income = $300 (Social Security benefit)

1) $300 (Social Security benefit)
-20 (Not counted)
=$280 (Countable income)

2) $943 (SSI Federal benefit rate)
-280 (Countable income)
=$663 (SSI Federal benefit)

EXAMPLE B – SSI Federal Benefit with only EARNED INCOME

Total monthly income = $317 (Gross wages)

1) $317 (Gross wages)
-20 (Not counted)
$297
-65 (Not counted)
= $232 divided by 1/2 =$116 (Countable income)

2) $943 (SSI Federal benefit rate)
-116 (Countable income)
=$827 (SSI Federal benefit)

EXAMPLE C – SSI Federal Benefit and STATE SUPPLEMENT with only UNEARNED INCOME

The facts are the same as example A, but with federally administered State supplementation.

1) $300 (Social Security benefit)
-20 (Not counted)
=$280 (Countable income)

2) $943 (SSI Federal benefit rate)
-280 (Countable Income)
=$663 (SSI Federal benefit)

3) $663 (SSI Federal benefit)
+15 (State supplement payment for an individual living alone)
=$678 (Total Federal and State SSI benefit)

EXAMPLE D – SSI Federal Benefit and STATE SUPPLEMENT with only EARNED INCOME

Total monthly income = $317 (Gross wages)

1) $317 (Gross wages)
-20 (Not counted)
$297
-65 (Not counted)
$232 divided by 1/2 =$116 (Countable income)

2) $943 (SSI Federal benefit rate)
-116 (Countable Income)
=$827 (SSI Federal benefit)

3) $827 (SSI Federal benefit)
+15 (State supplement payment for an individual living alone)
=$842 (Total Federal and State SSI benefit)

For information on how your living arrangement affects your SSI benefit, see our chapter on LIVING ARRANGEMENTS.

HOW WILL WINDFALL OFFSET AFFECT MY BENEFIT?

• Windfall offset occurs when we reduce your retroactive Social Security benefits if you are eligible for Social Security and SSI benefits for the same months.

  We reduce your Social Security benefits by the amount of SSI you would not have received if we had paid you Social Security benefits when they were due.

For information, see the SSI Spotlight on Windfall Offset.

WHEN DOES DEEMED INCOME APPLY?

• When a person who is eligible for SSI benefits lives with a spouse who is not eligible for SSI benefits, we may count some of the spouse's income in determining the SSI benefit.

  When a child who is blind or has a qualifying disability and is under age 18 lives with parent(s) (or a parent and a stepparent) and at least one parent does not receive SSI, we may count some of the parents' income in figuring the child’s SSI payment.

  When a noncitizen has a sponsor, with certain exceptions, we count some or all of the sponsor's income in figuring the SSI benefit.

WHEN DOES DEEMED INCOME NOT APPLY?

• When you no longer live with a spouse or parent.

  When a child is blind or has a disability and attains age 18.

  When a noncitizen's sponsorship ends.Living with others may affect your payment

If you live in someone else’s home and don’t pay your fair share of food and shelter costs, your SSI payment may be lowered by up to $334.33.

Learn more about how living arrangements affect your payment

SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME (SSI) LIVING ARRANGEMENTS

WHY IS MY LIVING ARRANGEMENT IMPORTANT?

Your living arrangement is another factor used to determine how much Supplemental Security Income (SSI) you can get.

This means your SSI benefits may vary depending on where you live:

• in your own place such as a house, apartment, or mobile home; or

  in someone else's household; or

  in a group care or board and care facility; or

  in an institution such as a hospital or a nursing home.

For more information on living arrangements, see the SSI Spotlight on Living Arrangements and the Spotlight on the One-Third Reduction Provision.

We may reduce your SSI benefits because of your living arrangements when you:

• Live in another person's house, apartment, or mobile home, and you pay less than your fair share of your food or housing costs.

  Live in your own house, apartment, or mobile home, and someone else pays for all or part of your food, rent, mortgage, or other things like electricity and heating fuel.

  Are in a hospital or nursing home for the whole month and Medicaid pays for over one-half of the cost of your care.

  Are a minor child in a hospital or nursing home for the whole month and private insurance and/or Medicaid together pay over one-half of the cost of your care.

  Are in a public or private medical treatment facility and Medicaid is paying for more than half of the cost of your care. If you are in the facility for the whole month, your SSI benefit is limited to $30 (plus any supplementary State payment). We may lower the benefit if you have other income.

If you will be in a medical institution for 90 days or less, you may be able to receive your regular SSI benefit. See the SSI Spotlight on Continued Benefits for Persons Who are Temporarily Institutionalized.

WHAT IF YOU ARE HOMELESS?

We figure your benefit amount the same as we do for a person who lives in their own house, apartment, or mobile home.

CAN YOU RECEIVE SSI BENEFITS WHILE LIVING IN A PUBLIC SHELTER FOR THE HOMELESS?

Yes. You can receive up to the maximum SSI benefit payable in your State while living in a public shelter for up to 6 months out of any 9 month period.

WHERE WILL YOU GET YOUR SSI BENEFITS IF YOU DON'T HAVE AN ADDRESS?

You don't need an address to get SSI benefits. We will make arrangements to pay you.

For more information, see the SSI Spotlight on Homelessness.

WHAT IS IN-KIND SUPPORT AND MAINTENANCE?

In-kind support and maintenance is food, shelter, or both that somebody else provides for you. We count in-kind support and maintenance as income when we figure the amount of your SSI. For example, if someone helps pay for your rent, mortgage, food, or utilities, we reduce the amount of your SSI. Receiving in-kind support and maintenance can reduce your monthly SSI payments as much as $334.33, depending on the value of the help you receive.

We do not count in-kind support and maintenance if you:

• live alone and pay for your own food and shelter;

  live only with your spouse and minor children and nobody outside the household pays for your food and shelter; or

  live with other people and pay your share of the food and shelter expenses.

HOW DOES MY LIVING ARRANGEMENT AFFECT MY SSI BENEFIT AMOUNT?

Your living arrangement is where you live, if you live alone or with someone else, or if you live in an institution, such as a nursing home. Your living arrangement also depends on who pays for your food and shelter. Whether you live alone or with someone else, we need to know who pays for your food, shelter, and utilities. Here are some examples of common living arrangement situations.

EXAMPLE A: If you live alone in an apartment

Suppose you live alone and your only income is SSI. Your sibling pays your rent of $800. We count this payment as in-kind support and maintenance. Although the rent is $800, we limit how much of the $800 we count by using a presumed maximum value (PMV) rule. The PMV is equal to 1/3 of the Federal benefit rate plus $20. Here are the steps we use to figure the SSI benefit amount:

1. The SSI Federal Benefit Rate is $943.00.

2. One-third of the SSI Federal Benefit Rate of $943.00 is $314.33.

3. $314.33 (1/3 of the Federal Benefit Rate)
+$20.00 (from the PMV rule)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
=$334.33 (the PMV of in-kind support and maintenance)

4. $334.33 (the PMV of in-kind support and maintenance)
-20.00 (general income exclusion)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
= $314.33 (the amount of the reduction due to in-kind support and maintenance)

5. $943.00 (Federal Benefit Rate)
-$314.33 (reduction due to in-kind support and maintenance)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
= $628.67 (your SSI benefit amount)

EXAMPLE B: If you live alone in a home that you own

Suppose you live alone in a home that you own and your only income is SSI. Your adult child pays your electric bill of $100, your phone bill of $50 per month, and your cable television bill of $75 per month. We do not count the payment of the phone bill or the cable television bill as in-kind support and maintenance so these payments do not affect your SSI benefits. However, we count payment of the $100 electric bill as in-kind support and maintenance. Because SSI is your only income, we apply the $20 general exclusion to the $100 electric bill payment. This leaves $80 as countable in-kind support and maintenance. We determine your SSI benefit amount as follows:

$943.00 (the SSI Federal Benefit Rate)

$100.00 (in-kind support and maintenance)
-$20.00 (general exclusion)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
= $80.00 (the reduction due to in-kind support and maintenance)

$943.00 (SSI Federal Benefit Rate)
-$80.00 (the reduction due to in-kind support and maintenance)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
= $863.00 (your SSI benefit amount)

EXAMPLE C: If you live in another person’s household and share expenses.

Suppose you live with your sibling, and 2 other adults in a home that your sibling is buying and your only income is SSI. There are 4 people in the household. The mortgage payment is $700. The average monthly bills are $200 for electricity, $100 for water and sewer, and $600 for food. The total monthly expenses are $1600. Because there are 4 people in the household, your share of the expenses is $400 per month.

If you pay your full share of $400 for the household expenses there would be no reduction of your benefit and you would get the full $943 in your SSI check.

If you pay less than $400, then you would be receiving in-kind support and maintenance. We would apply the one-third reduction rule and the $943 would be reduced by $314.33, so your SSI payment would be $628.67.

EXAMPLE D: If you live in a house rent-free

Suppose you live in a house owned by your sibling who allows you to live there rent-free. You receive $300 per month in Social Security benefits. You pay all the utilities and buy all the food. We determine that the house would rent for $900 per month if your sibling rented it on the open market. The rent-free house is counted as in-kind support and maintenance. Although the value of the rent-free house is $900 per month, we count $324.66 as in-kind support and maintenance. We would determine your SSI benefit as follows:

$943.00 (SSI Federal benefit rate)

$300.00 (Social Security benefits)
- $20.00 (general exclusion)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
= $280.00 (countable Social Security benefits)

$943.00 (SSI Federal benefit rate)
-$280.00 (countable Social Security benefits)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
= $663.00 (sub-total)

$663.00 (sub-total)
-$334.33 (the reduction due to in-kind support and maintenance)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
= $328.67 (your SSI benefit amount)Extra support from your state

Some states offer an extra payment called a “state supplement” to help with food and shelter costs. This type of payment won’t reduce your SSI.

See which states offer supplements