SSI eligibility: who can get SSI and the income and resource limits

Who can get SSI

SSI is a monthly payment from the Social Security Administration. It is paid from general tax money. A person can get SSI if he or she meets all of these rules:

• Is 65 or older, is blind or has a disability.
• Has little income and few resources.
• Is a U.S. citizen or national, or a noncitizen in certain groups.
• Lives in one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia or the Northern Mariana Islands, and is not away for a full calendar month or for 30 days in a row.
• Is not living in a public institution, such as a hospital or prison, at government expense.
• Applies for any other benefits he or she may get, such as a pension.
• Files an application.

A person who is 65 or older does not need a disability to get SSI.

What blindness and disability mean for SSI

For an adult, a disability is a physical or mental condition that keeps the person from doing substantial work. It must be expected to last at least 12 months or to result in death. For a child under 18, the condition must cause marked and severe limits. Blindness means vision of 20/200 or less in the better eye with glasses or contacts, or a field of vision of 20 degrees or less. For blindness, there is no rule on how long it must last.

Resource limits and federal payment amounts

Resources are things a person owns that could be turned into cash, such as money in the bank and stocks. The home you live in and its land do not count. One vehicle used for travel does not count, whatever its value. Household goods, personal items, burial spaces and up to $100,000 in an ABLE account also do not count. When a parent applies for a child, these limits go up by $2,000.

How income lowers the payment

Social Security looks at money from work and money from other sources, such as pensions and unemployment. It leaves some income out, such as the first $65 of monthly earnings and half of the rest, SNAP food benefits and income tax refunds. What is left is countable income. The payment is the federal amount minus countable income. In simple terms, every $2 earned from work lowers SSI by about $1. Every $1 from other sources lowers it by about $1. As a rough guide for 2026, Social Security says SSI is generally for people who earn no more than $2,073 a month from work. That limit is higher for couples and when parents apply for children.

State supplements and other help

Many states add their own payment to the federal amount. Social Security pays it in some states, and the state pays it in others. Arizona, Arkansas, Mississippi, North Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia and the Northern Mariana Islands do not add a supplement. People on SSI can also ask about other programs, such as SNAP and Medicaid.

Frequently asked questions

Does SSI count my home or car?

The home you live in and the land it is on do not count. One vehicle used for travel by you or someone in your household does not count, whatever its value. Household goods, personal items and burial spaces also do not count.

Will SSI go up in 2027?

Yes. Social Security set a 3.6 percent cost-of-living raise. The federal maximum rises to $1,029 for one person and $1,544 for a couple, starting with the payment for January 2027.

Does a person 65 or older need a disability?

No. Age 65 or older meets that part of the rules. The person still has to meet the income, resource and other rules.

Can a person work and still get SSI?

Yes, in many cases. Social Security does not count the first $65 of monthly earnings and half of the rest. Each $2 earned from work lowers the payment by about $1.