Take Action by November 28, 2023 to Urge the Social Security Administration to Allow SSI Recipients to Receive Full SSI Payments Each Month.

On September 29, 2023, the Social Security Administration (SSA) published a proposed regulation that would allow more disabled people and older adults get full SSI payments each month.  

SSI provides lifesaving income supports, but people can see their benefits cut by a third if they get help paying for housing and other necessities. SSA’s proposed regulation would stop cuts to people’s SSI checks if their household receives SNAP benefits (food stamps).

Tell SSA that you support this change, and suggest further improvements. Comments are due by November 28, 2023. 

What to Know about SSI

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) provides critical benefits to nearly 8 million low-income older adults and people with disabilities to help them meet basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter. It also keeps families together, replacing income for parents of disabled children who cannot work due to caretaking. SSI is a lifesaving benefit, but it urgently needs updating.  

The maximum SSI benefit is $914 per month. The benefit is often reduced based on other income. This means that many SSI beneficiaries are struggling financially. 

People can have their SSI checks cut by one-third (to $609) if they get help from friends or family with paying for housing and other necessities. This rule is called “in-kind support and maintenance” (ISM).  

What to Know about SSA’s Proposed Regulation

Under current rules, if an SSI beneficiary lives in what’s called a “public assistance household,” their SSI checks are automatically protected from ISM’s one-third cuts. SSA assumes that the SSI beneficiary needs their entire SSI check to make ends meet if everyone in their household qualifies for a program like cash assistance from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program or veterans’ benefits.  

This is a good policy, but the definition of “public assistance household” is out of date. The TANF cash assistance program has shrunk dramatically because of very limited eligibility and decades of government underfunding. Meanwhile, SNAP (food stamps) and Medicaid have become the primary safety net programs for families and older adults in the United States. 

SSA’s proposed regulation would add SNAP to the definition of “public assistance household.” If everyone in an SSI beneficiary’s household received SNAP, SSA would exempt the beneficiary from ISM benefit cuts. More beneficiaries would keep their full SSI checks for housing and other necessities. 

The proposed regulation would also make SSA work better for everyone. Fewer SSI beneficiaries would have to report their financial information to SSA for ISM determinations. This would free up SSA staff to do other work and improve customer service. 

SSA has also asked for feedback on whether SSI beneficiaries should be exempted from ISM if anyone in their household receives SNAP. This would allow households who struggle to afford food but also have an ineligible member (for example, a college student) to benefit from the rule.

Congress should act by eliminating ISM altogether and updating other financial rules like the asset limit and the marriage penalty. In the meantime, this proposed regulation is a critical step toward making SSA’s financial rules better for SSI beneficiaries. 

Read SSA’s full proposed regulation.