Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a federal program that provides monthly payments to people with disabilities and older adults who have little or no income or resources. Income is any item an individual receives in cash or in-kind that can be used to meet their need for food or shelter. Income includes, for the purposes of SSI, the receipt of any item which can be applied, either directly or by sale or conversion, to meet basic needs of food or shelter. Earned income, such as wages, net earnings from self-employment, certain royalties, honoraria, and sheltered workshop payments, is one type of income that counts towards SSI. Deemed income, which is the part of the income of your spouse with whom you live, your parent(s) with whom you live, or your sponsor (if you are a noncitizen), which is used to compute your SSI benefit amount, is another type of income that counts towards SSI.
SSI is financed by general funds of the U.S. Treasury--personal income taxes, corporate and other taxes. Social Security taxes collected under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) or the Self-Employment Contributions Act (SECA) do not fund the SSI program. The maximum Federal SSI benefit amount changes yearly and varies based on factors such as income, living arrangements, and other factors. Effective January 1, 2023, the Federal benefit rate is $914 for an individual and $1,371 for a couple.
