Introduction
If you are receiving SSI benefits and have questions about whether or not you are eligible for them, it is important to understand the rules. The Social Security Administration (SSA) has specific criteria that must be met before an applicant can receive these payments. These criteria can change depending on your age, income level, and other factors.
You have too much income.
If you have a job and make too much money, you might not be eligible for SSI. The income limits that apply to people who are not working are called “earned income” limits. You can find out how much earned income is required to qualify for SSI by looking at the chart below:
The minimum amount of earned income required for most people who receive Social Security disability support services & benefits is $1,410 per month ($1680 per month if there are no dependents). This amount does not include any reimbursements from Medicare or Medicaid when someone has applied for those programs within six months of applying for Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
For example: If your monthly gross earnings were $2,000 but also included $480 in reimbursements from Medicare Part B coverage and $120 in reimbursements from Medicaid coverage because they were part of your total monthly income before taxes were taken out; then your actual gross wages would be only $1,980 ($2k - 480) because those additional costs would reduce what was earned each month by 20%.
You have too many resources.
Resources are any assets or income that you have. These include money, property, and other resources.
You can't receive SSI unless your income is below the limits of the program. The two main limits are based on resources, so if you have too many of them, then SSI may not be an option for you.
You are not a US citizen or national and are not eligible for SSI payments.
However, this is unlikely to happen if your monthly income is above the limits required by the Social Security Administration (SSA).
If your income is below these limits but more than zero dollars per month (or below $1 per day), then SSA will waive their rules related to citizenship status and grant eligibility for SSI payments.
Your SSI payments are stopped by some other Social Security rule.
If you receive a pension or annuity and/or workers compensation payment, you are not eligible for SSI benefits.
If you are receiving unemployment compensation, even if it is only paid as a lump sum at the end of each week without any other ongoing source of income (like wages or Social Security), this could cause your SSI payments to stop.
You or your spouse live in a medical facility and Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance pays the medical costs.
Medicare and Medicaid do not pay for long term care, only short term care in hospitals.
Medicare and Medicaid do not pay for long term care in nursing homes.
Medicare and Medicaid do not pay for long term care in assisted living facilities
These are the top reasons why you would not be approved for SSI benefits
SSI is a federal benefit program for people who are disabled or elderly. It's not based on income, but on your assets and your income. If you have enough assets to cover all of the monthly cost of living, then you won't need any more money from anyone to live comfortably. That's why it's called "need-based."
If you think about it, this makes sense: If someone has enough money to pay for their own needs without having to ask for help from other people in society (like an employer), then why should we expect them to rely on charity?
Conclusion
If you are wondering whether you are eligible or not, the best way to find out is to call our office and ask. We can help you with your application and answer any questions you may have.