What Is Supplemental Security Income (SSI)?

To be eligible for Supplemental Security Income, you must be a U.S. citizen or a qualified alien; live in one of the 50 states, the Northern Mariana Islands or the District of Columbia; and never leave the country for more than 30 consecutive days.

You must also pass a financial assessment and a medical review before gaining SSI benefits. You can expect a three- to five-month wait before you’re accepted into the program.

SSI recipients receive a monthly check based on their financial needs, and the maximum monthly payments vary annually.

Most states offer additional payments to supplement SSI payments. These payments vary depending on the state, your income and your living arrangements.

Some states automatically enroll SSI recipients into the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). In other states, SSI recipients are eligible for SNAP but must file a separate application.

General tax revenues pay for SSI. Those include revenues from personal income taxes and corporate taxes. Although the Social Security Administration oversees SSI benefits, Social Security taxes don’t fund them.

The government adjusts SSI payments based on your income. In this calculation, the government treats earned income and unearned income differently.

These adjustments create effective income limits for the program. The maximum amount of unearned income you can receive each month while on SSI is $934 for a single person and $1,391 for an eligible couple.

The maximum amount you can earn each month while getting SSI benefits is $1,913 for a single person and $2,827 for an eligible couple.

If you qualify for SSI and your live-in partner does not, their income and resources will still be counted toward your SSI determination. If you’re younger than 18, then your parents’ income and resources will be assessed instead of yours.

SSI is a “means-tested” program available only to people with limited income and resources. “Means tested” signifies that you must qualify through a review of your personal finances. It’s important to not confuse SSI with Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), which is a social insurance program.

The difference between SSDI and SSI is that SSDI is for people with disabilities who earned enough Social Security work credits over their lifetime. Disability benefits amounts vary depending on how much each recipient paid into the program when working. Neither eligibility nor payment size is tied to financial needs.

Many SSI recipients also receive Medicaid coverage but obtaining Medicare coverage varies from state to state.

In most states, anyone who receives SSI benefits gets automatically enrolled into Medicaid. People in these states don’t need to submit a Medicaid application — they will simply receive a welcome package a few weeks after their SSI approval.

Some other states require SSI recipients to manually apply for Medicaid, but typically, people who receive SSI also qualify for Medicaid. You can apply for the program if you need medical coverage.

You’ll need various documents and pieces of information in order to apply for SSI. Have the following information ready when it comes time for it.

Later in the application process, you’ll need certain documentation. This information may take time to gather, so allow yourself time to ensure accuracy.

If you apply as an adult, you’ll also need your work history. This includes a list of the companies you worked for, job title, the hours you worked and a description of duties you performed.

If you apply on behalf of a child, you’ll need contact information for people who can describe how the child’s condition affects their life. This may include teachers, caregivers and anyone else who regularly interacts with the child.

Staffers at your local Social Security Administration office can help you apply for SSI benefits. Request an appointment online or by calling 1-800-772-1213 between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday through Friday.

You can also apply for SSI online on the Social Security Administration website. You will need to mail original copies of your application documents to your local SSA office as part of this process.