• What is SSI?
• How much can you get?
• How do you qualify for SSI?
• How do you apply for SSI?
• Contacting Social Security

What is SSI?

SSI, or Supplemental Security Income, is a federal program that provides monthly cash payments to people who do not have much income or own many things. SSI is for elderly people, as well as blind or disabled people of any age, including children.

To get SSI, you must:

• Be 65 or older; or
• Be totally or partially blind; or
• Have a medical condition that keeps you from working and is expected to last at least one year or result in death. There are different rules for children. For more information ask for the publication, Benefits For Children With Disabilities (Publication No. 05-10026).

How much can you get?

The basic monthly SSI payment is the same nationwide. It is:

• $564 for one person; or
• $846 for a couple.

Not everyone gets the same amount. You may get more if you live in a state that adds money to the federal SSI payment. Or you may get less if you or your family have other income. Where and with whom you live can determine if you qualify for SSI and make a difference in the amount of your SSI payment.

How do you qualify for SSI?

Your income
Your income includes the money you earn, your Social Security benefits, your pensions and the value of items you get from someone else, such as food, clothing and shelter.

Where you live affects the amount of income you can have each month and still get SSI. Different states have different rules.

Things you own
You may be able to get SSI if your resources (the things you own) are worth no more than $2,000 for a person or $3,000 for a couple. We do not count everything you own when we decide if you can get SSI. For example, we do not count your home, and we usually do not count your car. We do count cash, bank accounts, stocks and bonds.

You must be a U.S. resident
You must live in the United States or Northern Mariana Islands to get SSI. If you are not a U.S. citizen, but you are a resident, you still may be able to get SSI. For more information, ask for the publication, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) For Noncitizens (Publication No. 05-11051).

If you are a fugitive felon or probation or parole violator, you cannot get SSI for any months in which there is an outstanding warrant for you. (In New Jersey, warrants for high misdemeanors are included.)

Other benefits
To get SSI, you also must apply for any other cash benefits you may be able to get. If you get SSI, you usually can get food stamps and Medicaid, too. Medicaid helps pay doctor and hospital bills, and food stamps help pay for food.

How do you apply for SSI?

Contact us to set up an appointment to apply for SSI at your local Social Security office.

Contacting Social Security

For more information, visit our website at www.socialsecurity.gov or call toll-free 1-800-772-1213 (for the deaf or hard of hearing, call our TTY number, 1-800-325-0778). We can answer specific questions and provide information by automated phone service 24 hours a day.

We treat all calls confidentially. We also want to make sure you receive accurate and courteous service. That is why we have a second Social Security representative monitor some telephone calls.