Supplemental Security Income (or SSI) is a monthly stipend provided to aged (legally deemed to be 65 or older), blind, or disabled persons based on need, paid by the United States ^ b. English is the de facto language of American government and the sole language spoken at home by 80% of Americans age five and older. Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language Government A government is the organization, or agency through which a political unit exercises its authority, controls and administers public policy, and directs and controls the actions of its members or subjects.[1] The program is administered by the Social Security Administration The United States Social Security Administration is an independent agency of the United States federal government that administers Social Security, a social insurance program consisting of retirement, disability, and survivors' benefits. To qualify for these benefits, most American workers pay Social Security taxes on their earnings; future.[2] Payments are made from the US Treasury general funds The Department of the Treasury is an executive department and the treasury of the United States federal government. It was established by an Act of Congress in 1789 to manage government revenue. The Department is administered by the Secretary of the Treasury, who is a member of the Cabinet,[3] not the Social Security trust funds The Social Security Trust Fund is the means by which the federal government of the United States accounts for excess paid-in contributions from workers and employers to the Social Security system that are not required to fund current benefit payments to retirees, survivors, and the disabled or to pay administrative expenses. More importantly, the. The payments are generally paid on the first of the month for the current month (as opposed to social security benefits which are paid for the prior month).[4] The program was created in 1974 to replace various state-administered programs which served the same purpose, as a way to standardize in the level of benefits[5] through the addition of Title XVI (Title 16) of the Social Security Act Social Security in the United States currently refers to the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program.[6]

Contents

History

The legislation creating the program was a result of President Nixon's effort to reform the nation's welfare programs. At that time, each state had similar programs under the Aid to the Blind, Aid to the Permanently and Totally Disabled, and Aid to the Elderly. The Nixon Administration thought these programs should be federalized and run by the Social Security Administration. Thus, SSI was created to eliminate the differences between the states including different disability standards and income and resources requirements which many perceived as irrational and/or unfair. The SSI program officially began in January 1974 by federalizing states' programs, designating the Social Security Administration (SSA) to administer the SSI program. SSA was selected because it had been administering a nationwide disability program under the Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits (DIB) program since 1956 under the Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) programs associated with FICA payroll taxes.

Eligibility

In order to be eligible to receive SSI benefits, an individual must prove the following:[7]

Furthermore, an individual may find themselves ineligible if they are a resident of a public institution from the first day of a month through the last day of the same month,[8] fails to apply for all other benefits for which they may be eligible (including Social Security benefits), has an unsatisfied warrant Most often, the term warrant refers to a specific type of authorization; a writ issued by a competent officer, usually a judge or magistrate, which commands an otherwise illegal act that would violate individual rights and affords the person executing the writ protection from damages if the act is performed or violates parole Parole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole, meaning " word". Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their word of honor to abide by conditions, fails to give SSA permission to contact any financial institution for financial records, or is outside the US for 30 consecutive days (with some exclusions).[7] Numerous restrictions have been placed on who is eligible for the benefit, which is considered a welfare benefit. However, unlike social security benefits (Title II), earned work credits are not a requirement for SSI.[9]

If insured for disability and not currently receiving benefits, an applicant for SSI also applies for Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits (DIB), and the standard by which applicants are judged to be disabled is virtually the same for both SSI and DIB

The decision as to whether an individual is disabled is made by the various state Disability Determination Services Disability Determination Services, commonly called DDS, are state agencies, funded by the United States Federal Government. Their purpose is to make disability findings for the Social Security Administration (DDS), which contract with the federal government to make such determinations. Although the DDS's are state agencies, they follow federal rules. This arrangement arose from the inception of OASDI, when some key members of Congress considered the Social Security Disability program should be administered employing federalism, fearing expansion of the federal government.

Aged, Disabled, or Blind

In order to be eligible for SSI, a person must meet the definition of being aged, disabled, or blind.

Aged - Being deemed aged consists of attaining the age of 65 or older.[7] The Social Security Administration, like the United States Government in general, follows English common law Common law is law developed by judges through decisions of courts and similar tribunals , rather than through legislative statutes or executive branch action. A "common law system" is a legal system that gives great precedential weight to common law, on the principle that it is unfair to treat similar facts differently on different and considers a person to attain an age the day before their birthday.[10]

Disabled - Being deemed disabled consists of meeting the general disability definition used by the Social Security Administration:

"Disability means inability to engage in any SGA [significantly gainful employment] by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death, or has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months.

"The 1967 amendments specified that workers shall be determined to be under a disability only if the physical or mental impairment or impairments are of such severity that the individual is not only unable to do his previous work but cannot, considering his age, education, and work experience, engage in any other kind of substantial gainful work which exists in the national economy. This is regardless of whether any of these are true:

"The statute also specifies that 'work which exists in the national economy means work which exists in significant numbers either in the region where such individuals lives or in several regions of the country.'"[11]

Substantial gainful activity (SGA), for the year 2008, is the ability to earn $940 gross income in a month's period for most disabled individuals, and $1570 for those whose disability includes blindness.[12]

In addition, children under the age of 18 can be determined to be disabled for SSI purposes "if the individual has a medically determinable impairment or combination of impairments that causes marked or severe functional limitation(s), and can be expected to result in death, or has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months."[13]

Blind - Being deemed blind consists of meeting the following definition:

"central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with the use of a correcting lens. An eye which has a limitation in the field of vision such that the widest diameter of the visual field subtends an angle no greater than 20 degrees should also be considered as having a central visual acuity of 20/200 or less."[13]

In addition, for SSI purposes, an individual is considered blind regardless of the period of time they are expected to be blind or if they are performing substantial gainful activity.[13]

Income

One of the requirements to receive SSI is that the individual's income must be below certain limits.[14] These limits may vary based on the state the individual lives in, his/her federal living arrangement, the number of people living in the residence, and the type of income. The limit varies on all of these factors and is described in the below section on benefit computation.

Resources

Another requirement for SSI is that the individual's resources are below a certain limit. Generally, this amount is $2,000 for a single individual and $3,000 for an individual and their spouse (whether the spouse is eligible for SSI or not).[15] However, conditional benefits may be paid if a substantial portion of the resources are considered non-liquid, resources that cannot be sold within 20 working days,[16] if they agree to sell the resources at their current market value within a specified period and repay the money after the non-liquid property is sold.[17]

However, not all actual resources are counted in calculating an individual's or couple's resources for SSI purposes.[18]

The resource limits were originally set at $1500 for an individual and $2500 for couples in 1974[citation needed], and were not linked to inflation. In 1987 the limits were raised to $1800/$2700, in 1988 to $1900/$2850 and in 1989 to $2000/$3000 [19]. Under current law they will remain at present levels indefinitely.

Residency

SSI benefits are not paid solely to US citizens, but may also be paid to aliens legally residing in the United States.[7] Conversely, citizens may find themselves ineligible because they do not currently reside within the United States;[20] exceptions apply for children of military parent(s) who were born overseas, were disabled or became blind overseas, or first applied for benefits overseas[21] and for students studying abroad who were eligible for SSI in the month prior to leaving the US, whose absence will be for less than 1 year, and who are studying to enhance their ability to perform substantial gainful activity, sponsored by an educational institution in the US, and would not be available to the individual in the US.[22] Several restrictions apply to the eligibility of aliens however. These include being in a "qualified alien" category and meeting an exception condition.[23]

There are seven categories of qualified aliens based on Department of Homeland Security The United States Department of Homeland Security is a Cabinet department of the United States federal government with the primary responsibilities of protecting the territory of the U.S. from terrorist attacks and responding to natural disasters (DHS) immigration statuses. This includes:[24]

There are 5 exception conditions. These include:[25]

Benefit details

Payments for SSI are made for the first day of the month, unless the first of the month is on a Weekend or a legal holiday, in which case the payment is made on the first day prior that is not a weekend or a legal holiday. The minimum benefit is $1 (USD).[26]

The SSI program, or Title XVI of the Social Security Act, provides monthly federal cash assistance of up to $674 (as of 2009[update]) for an individual to help meet the costs of basic needs of food, shelter and clothing. In most states, SSI eligibility usually assures concurrent access to important medical coverage under the various state Medicaid Medicaid is the United States health program for eligible individuals and families with low incomes and resources. It is a means tested program that is jointly funded by the state and federal governments, and is managed by the states. Among the groups of people served by Medicaid are certain eligible U.S. citizens and resident aliens, including programs and sometimes access to Section 8 The Housing Choice Voucher Program is a type of Federal assistance provided by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development dedicated to sponsoring subsidized housing for low-income families and individuals. It is more commonly known as Section 8, in reference to the portion of the U.S. Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 housing benefits. In some states, supplemental payments are made by the state, increasing the cash assistance available through SSI. For example, the state of California increases the cash assistance by up to $233 per month as of 2007.

SSI takes into consideration what the income and resources the applicant or recipient has. Persons who have qualified for Social Security disability benefits, may receive SSI during the 5-month waiting period, if they meet the income and resource requirements. The resource limit, for single individuals, is $2000 and for married individuals, is $3000. Resources include anything that is cash or can be turned into cash, such as art, mineral rights Ownership of mineral rights is an estate in real property. It is the right of the owner to exploit, mine, and/or produce any or all of the minerals lying below the surface of the property. The five elements of a mineral interest are:, stocks or other investments, or real property. In some situations, however, these resources can be excluded. SSI benefits are generally reduced dollar-for-dollar by any unearned income, such as TANF, alimony Alimony is an obligation to provide financial support to one's spouse after separation or divorce. It is established by divorce law or family law in many countries and is based on the premise that both spouses have an absolute obligation to support each other during their marriage (or civil union known as common-law marriages). Alimony is the, unemployment insurance Unemployment benefits are payments made by the state or other authorized bodies to unemployed people. It may be based on a compulsory para-governmental insurance system. Depending on the jurisdiction and the status of the person, those sums may be meager, covering only basic needs , or may compensate the lost pay somewhat proportionally to the, Social Security Disability or Retirement benefits. Earned income, from wages or self-employment, is treated differently, and more favorably. In other words, a person may be ineligible if they receive $750 per month in alimony, but may not be if $750 per month is received from working. It is permissible, subject to regulations, to work and continue to receive SSI. Even if a person no longer receive SSI payments because their wage or self-employment income is too high, they may still be eligible for receive Medicaid under so-called 1619 Year 1619 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar) provisions. SSI also takes into consideration the income of so-called "deemors," i.e., a spouse lives with the recipient, a parent or parents if they live with a child recipient under the age of 18, or, in some cases, the sponsor of an alien.

SSI is not retroactive, unlike Social Security disability. Social Security determines the month you have protected for an SSI application by the date of your intent to file, so long as it is expressed to Social Security and an application is filed within 60 days. You may call Social Security toll-free to set up a disability interview. You cannot currently file online for SSI. However, you may apply for DIB online and add SSI application via a phone appointment. If you call the last day of the month, and the interview is set for the second week of the proceeding month, your SSI eligibility will still go back to the month you actually called and set up the appointment. Medicaid benefits usually start the first month in which you qualify both medically and financially, although actual SSI payments do not start until the next month. For example, a person calls in to set up an appointment for February. January remains the month application, however, no benefits are paid during the application month.

If you are an immigrant you must have been a legal resident of the United States before the Welfare Reform Act of 1996 took effect (August 22, 1996) in order to qualify for SSI. If you arrive after that date you may not qualify and be denied by SSI benefis. However, the regulations governing alien eligibility for SSI are complex and contain many exceptions, for instance asylee, refugees, spouses of a member of the military or some lawfully admitted for permanent residence (LAPR)may be "qualified aliens" so if you are an LAPR for at least 5 years and have a valid I-551 issued by Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration and have worked in the United States as well you may qualify. If you want to know if you might qualify for SSI, you should contact the Social Security Administration for an appointment.

Any month that you are a fugitive felon, that is have an outstanding or unsatisfied warrant, you are ineligible for benefits, in most states. A recent court decision somewhat mitigated this rule, in some northeastern states. If you are incarcerated for an entire calendar month, you are ineligible for benefits. If you are in a medical facility, paid for by Medicaid (at least 50%), your payment may be reduced to $30.

Calculation

Calculation of an SSI benefit begins with the Federal Benefit Rate (FBR). The FBR for 2008 is $674.00.[27]

Federal Living Arrangements

This section requires expansion.

Deeming Income

This section requires expansion.

Potential Residual Benefits to Other Programs

This section requires expansion.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ (SSA "Supplemental Security Income (SSI)" p. 2)
  2. ^ (SSA "Teleservice Representative Basic Training Curriculum: Supplemental Security Income" p. 5)
  3. ^ (SSA "Supplemental Security Income (SSI)" p. 2)
  4. ^ (SSA "Teleservice Representative Basic Training Curriculum: Supplemental Security Income" p. 27)
  5. ^ (SSA "Teleservice Representative Basic Training Curriculum: Supplemental Security Income" p. 7)
  6. ^ (SSA "Teleservice Representative Basic Training Curriculum: Supplemental Security Income" p. 27)
  7. ^ a b c d (SSA POMS SI 00501.001)
  8. ^ (SSA POMS SI 00520.001)
  9. ^ (SSA "Teleservice Representative Basic Training Curriculum: Supplemental Security Income" p. 9)
  10. ^ (SSA POMS RS 00615.015)
  11. ^ (SSA POMS DI 10105.065)
  12. ^ (SSA POMS DI 10501.015)
  13. ^ a b c (SSA POMS DI 11055.005)
  14. ^ (SSA POMS SI 00810.001)
  15. ^ (SSA POMS SI 01110.003)
  16. ^ (SSA POMS SI 01110.300)
  17. ^ (SSA POMS 01150.200)
  18. ^ (SSA POMS SI 01110.210)
  19. ^ http://www.socialsecurity.gov/OP_Home/handbook/handbook.21/handbook-2166.html
  20. ^ (SSA POMS SI 00501.410)
  21. ^ (SSA POMS SI 00501.415)
  22. ^ (SSA POMS SI 00501.411)
  23. ^ (SSA POMS SI 00502.100)
  24. ^ (SSA POMS SI 00502.100A.2)
  25. ^ (SSA POMS SI 00502.100A.3)
  26. ^ (SSA POMS SI 02001.005)
  27. ^ (SSA POMS SI 02001.020)

References

External links

Social Security (United States) In the United States, Social Security refers to the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program
Key articles Social Security Administration The United States Social Security Administration is an independent agency of the United States federal government that administers Social Security, a social insurance program consisting of retirement, disability, and survivors' benefits. To qualify for these benefits, most American workers pay Social Security taxes on their earnings; future · Social Security number In the United States, a Social Security number is a nine-digit number issued to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and temporary (working) residents under section 205(c)(2) of the Social Security Act, codified as 42 U.S.C. § 405(c)(2). The number is issued to an individual by the Social Security Administration, an independent agency of the
Assistance Programs Disability Determination Services Disability Determination Services, commonly called DDS, are state agencies, funded by the United States Federal Government. Their purpose is to make disability findings for the Social Security Administration · Retirement Insurance Benefits Retirement Insurance Benefits or Old-age Insurance Benefits are a form of social insurance payments made by the U.S. Social Security Administration paid based upon the attainment old age (62 or older). Benefit payments are made on the 3rd of the month, or the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th Wednesday of the month, based upon the date of birth and entitlement to · Social Security Disability Insurance Social Security Disability Insurance is a payroll tax-funded, federal insurance program of the United States government. SSDI, managed by the Social Security Administration, is designed to provide income to people who are unable to work because of a disability. SSDI is intended to be provided until their condition improves, and is intended to · Supplemental Security Income · Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Temporary Assistance for Needy Families is one of the United States of America's federal assistance programs. It began on July 1, 1997, and succeeded the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program, providing cash assistance to indigent American families with dependent children through the United States Department of Health and Human · Ticket to Work · Unemployment benefits Unemployment benefits are payments made by the state or other authorized bodies to unemployed people. Benefits may be based on a compulsory para-governmental insurance system. Depending on the jurisdiction and the status of the person, those sums may be meager, covering only basic needs , or may compensate the lost pay somewhat proportionally to
Health care Medicaid Medicaid is the United States health program for eligible individuals and families with low incomes and resources. It is a means tested program that is jointly funded by the state and federal governments, and is managed by the states. Among the groups of people served by Medicaid are certain eligible U.S. citizens and resident aliens, including · Medicare Medicare is a social insurance program administered by the United States government, providing health insurance coverage to people who are aged 65 and over, or who meet other special criteria. The program also funds residency training programs for the vast majority of physicians in the United States. Medicare operates as a single-payer health care · SCHIP The State Children's Health Insurance Program – later known more simply as the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) – is a program administered by the United States Department of Health and Human Services that provides matching funds to states for health insurance to families with children. The program was designed with the intent to
Law Disability fraud Disability fraud is the receipt of payment intended for the disabled from a government agency or private insurance company by one who should not be receiving them or the receipt of a higher amount than one who is entitled to them should be receiving. There are various acts that may constitute disability fraud. These include feigning a medical · FICA The Federal Insurance Contributions Act tax (pronounced /ˈfаɪkə/) is a United States payroll (or employment) tax imposed by the federal government on both employees and employers to fund Social Security and Medicare —federal programs that provide benefits for retirees, the disabled, and children of deceased workers. Social Security benefits · Revenue Act of 1942 The United States Revenue Act of 1942, Pub. L. 753, Ch. 619, 56 Stat. 798 , increased individual income tax rates, increased corporate tax rates (top rate rose from 31 % to 40 %), and reduced the personal exemption amount from $1,500 to $1,200 (married couples). The exemption amount for each dependent was reduced from $400 to $350 · Social Security Act Social Security in the United States currently refers to the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program · Social Security Act of 1965 The Social Security Amendments of 1965 was legislation in the United States whose most important provisions resulted in creation of two programs: Medicare and Medicaid. The legislation initially provided federal health insurance for the elderly and for poor families. While President Lyndon B. Johnson was responsible for signing the bill, there · Social Security Death Index The Social Security Death Index is a database of death records created from the United States Social Security Administration's Death Master File Extract. Most persons who have died since 1962 who had a Social Security Number (SSN) and whose death has been reported to the Social Security Administration are listed in the SSDI. For most years since 19 · Social Security Trust Fund The Social Security Trust Fund is the means by which the federal government of the United States accounts for excess paid-in contributions from workers and employers to the Social Security system that are not required to fund current benefit payments to retirees, survivors, and the disabled or to pay administrative expenses. More importantly, the · Windfall Elimination Provision The Windfall Elimination Provision is a statutory provision in United States law which affects benefits paid by the Social Security Administration under Title II of the Social Security Act. It reduces the Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) of a person's Retirement Insurance Benefits (RIB) or Disability Insurance Benefits (DIB) when that person is · 7.65% Solution (Social Security) The 7.65% Solution is a policy proposal from the American Institute for Full Employment, advocating personal retirement accounts and tax changes to address the long-term solvency of U.S. Social Security
Other Legacy debt The "legacy debt" in the United States Social Security System is the difference between what the first generation of beneficiaries paid into the system to the benefits that they received. The very first beneficiary was Ida May Fuller who paid only $24.75 towards Social Security and upon her death at age 100 she had collected almost $23,00 · Numident · Office of the Chief Actuary · Primary Insurance Amount · Social Security debate (United States) · Social Security Wage Base · Years of coverage

Categories: Federal assistance in the United States | Medicare and Medicaid (United States) | Social Security (United States)

 

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