Every month, the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program extends financial support to more than seven million Americans. Managed by the Social Security Administration (SSA), SSI primarily assists individuals aged 65 and older, as well as people with disabilities or blindness, including children.
This federal aid targets those with limited or no income and resources, which means applicants must satisfy specific financial eligibility requirements to receive benefits.
Financial Limits for SSI Eligibility
Beyond meeting age or disability criteria, SSI beneficiaries must keep their earnings within strict boundaries. Recipients cannot earn more than $2,073 monthly from employment, although this limit rises for couples and when parents apply on behalf of their children. The SSA also assesses income from other sources to determine eligibility.
When evaluating applicants’ resources, the SSA considers various assets including cash, bank accounts, stocks, mutual funds, U.S. savings bonds, land, life insurance policies, personal property, and vehicles. Additionally, ‘deemed resources’—assets that could be converted into cash to cover food or shelter—are included in the assessment.
To qualify for SSI, an individual’s total resources must not exceed $2,000, while couples are subject to a combined asset limit of $3,000. For children under 18 living at home who have not married, the parents’ resources beyond these thresholds are factored into the child’s resource limit.