Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Program
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Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a federal welfare program that pays monthly benefits to low-income people who are disabled, blind, or age 65 or older. This article focuses on SSI for disabled and blind applicants. While SSI benefits are administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA), which employs the same medical definition of disability as the Social Security disability program, SSI disability benefits are not paid out of the Social Security trust fund.
Overview
SSI is a need-based monthly benefit for those who are disabled, blind, or over 65 and not receiving retirement benefits.
Here's what you need to know.
Here are the ways you can qualify medically for SSI.
Financial Eligibility for SSI
If you have more than a small amount of assets, you won't qualify for SSI.
You must make or receive less income than the monthly income limit to be eligible for SSI.
You have to be either a U.S. citizen or an foreigner that falls into a qualifying alien category.
SSI Benefits
The SSI monthly benefit depends on where you live and whether you have any income.
For SSI, you can get disability backpayments going back only to the month after your application.
An IDA account allows you to save money withour disqualifying yourself for SSI.