What Is Supplemental Security Income (SSI)?
Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, is a federal program that sends monthly cash payments to people who are 65 or older, blind, or disabled and who have very little income or savings. Its purpose is simple: help cover the basics, like rent, food, and utilities.
SSI is run by the Social Security Administration, but it is not the same as Social Security. It doesn’t depend on how long you worked or how much you paid in taxes. It is paid for out of general tax revenue and is based entirely on need. About 7.4 million Americans receive it, including roughly a million children.
Who qualifies
To get SSI, you need to fit one of three groups and also meet strict financial limits.
• Age 65 or older. Older adults don’t need to prove they can’t work. Age alone is enough, as long as income and assets are low.
• Blind. This generally means central vision of 20/200 or worse in the better eye with glasses, or a very limited field of vision.
• Disabled. An adult must have a medically documented condition that keeps them from doing substantial work and is expected to last at least 12 months or result in death.
Children can qualify too. A child with a serious disability can receive SSI if the household’s income and resources are low enough. Part of the parents’ income is counted when deciding eligibility.
You also generally need to be a U.S. citizen or meet certain noncitizen requirements, and live in one of the 50 states, Washington, D.C., or the Northern Mariana Islands.
How much SSI pays
In 2026, the maximum federal SSI payment is $994 a month for an individual and $1,491 a month for an eligible couple. These amounts rise each January with the same cost-of-living adjustment that applies to Social Security; for 2026 that increase was 2.8%.
Most people don’t get the full amount. SSI subtracts your countable income from the maximum, so the more you have coming in, the smaller your check. Your living situation matters too: if someone else pays for your food or housing, your payment can be reduced by up to about a third.
Many states add their own supplement on top of the federal payment. The amount varies widely, from a few dollars to a few hundred, and some states pay nothing extra.
The income and asset limits
SSI has some of the tightest financial rules of any federal program. Countable resources can’t exceed $2,000 for an individual or $3,000 for a couple, and those limits haven’t changed since 1989.
What counts as a resource: cash, checking and savings accounts, stocks and bonds, extra vehicles, land other than your home, and anything else you could turn into cash for food or shelter.
What doesn’t count: the home you live in, one vehicle used for transportation, household goods and personal items, burial plots, and money in an ABLE account up to certain limits.
Income is treated generously in a few ways. The first $20 of most monthly income is ignored. For earnings from work, the first $65 is ignored and then only half of the rest is counted. That means someone on SSI can work part-time and still keep some of their benefit.
SSI vs. SSDI
SSI is often confused with Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). Both are run by the Social Security Administration and use the same medical definition of disability, but they work very differently.
| SSI | SSDI |
Based on | Financial need | Work history and payroll taxes paid |
Funded by | General tax revenue | Social Security trust fund |
Asset limit | $2,000 individual / $3,000 couple | None |
Payment | Flat maximum, reduced by other income | Based on your past earnings |
Health coverage | Medicaid in most states | Medicare after a 24-month wait |
Some people qualify for both. If your SSDI payment is small, SSI can top it up to the SSI maximum.
How to apply
You can start an SSI application online at ssa.gov, by calling Social Security at 1-800-772-1213, or by visiting a local Social Security office. Many applicants begin online and finish with a phone or in-person interview.
It helps to have these ready:
1. Your Social Security number and proof of age and citizenship or immigration status
2. Bank statements and records of any income, such as pay stubs or pension letters
3. Information about where you live and who pays for housing and food
4. For disability claims, names of your doctors, hospitals, and clinics, plus the medications you take
Disability-based claims often take several months to decide, and many are denied at first. If that happens, you can appeal, and many people win on appeal. Free help is often available from legal aid groups and local disability advocates.
The bottom line
SSI is a modest but vital lifeline. It won’t make anyone comfortable, but for millions of older adults, people with disabilities, and families caring for disabled children, it’s the difference between getting by and going without. If you or someone you know might qualify, it’s worth applying.
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