SSI PROGRAM

Are you eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits? If you do not qualify for Social Security Disability benefits because you have not worked for a total of five of the last ten years, you may qualify for SSI benefits. Supplemental Security Income was established to help those people who are disabled but didn’t have the opportunity to work the required quarters.

In order to qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or Title XVI, a claimant must:

1. Show that he or she is disabled, or cannot engage in Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA).
2. Show that he or she has a low income with few assets (see SGA Requirements). 

Unlike Disability Insurance Benefits, SSI is NOT dependent on how long a claimant has worked. Rather, income and assets are the main factors when determining eligibility for SSI benefits. The income from other members of your household will also be considered.

You may be approved for both SSI and DIB, although the final amounts will offset and may vary from the amounts quoted in your Notice of Award (see Calculating Benefits).  

In most states, SSI recipients are automatically eligible for Medicaid, which provides essential long-term services and support. Medicaid supports home- and community-based services, such as personal and attendant care services that help people with disabilities live in their homes and communities. Medicaid also covers wheelchairs, lifts, and supportive housing services. This care is typically unavailable through private insurance and is too costly for all but the wealthiest people to fund out of pocket. Over 60 percent of SSI recipients also get SNAP (food stamps) and about one-quarter receive housing assistance. Finally, many states supplement the federal SSI benefit, though some have cut those additional payments over the years.