Supplemental Security Income, also known as SSI, is an income supplement program Federally funded from general tax revenues. The monies are used to help disabled, blind and aged people who have little or no income to meet basic needs such as shelter, food, and clothing. The funds do not come from Social Security Taxes.
Rules of SSI
Your income and your accessibility to resources will predict your eligibility for SSI benefits. Social Security will not count all of your income for qualification of benefits but will check on any wages, benefits, or pensions you are currently receiving. The determination will also be made based on your location.
The resources you have access to will include any real estate, your bank accounts, cash on hand, and investments in stocks and bonds. Typically an individual can qualify for benefits if resources are worth no more than $2000 for single individuals, $3000 for married couples.
Eligibility Rules
Anyone aged 65 or older or those who are blind or disabled are eligible for receiving SSI Disability. These individuals also must have limited incomes and other resources to qualify. All eligible applicants must be a US citizen of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, or the Northern Mariana Islands, or a national. Eligible applicants may also fall into a category of an alien, provided they are not actively warranted for deportation.
Qualified individuals must apply for all other cash benefits for which they qualify including Social Security benefits and pensions. All individuals must complete and file an application, agreeing to give the Social Security Administration permission to request financial records on their behalf.
Who Is Not Eligible for SSI Disability
There are several individuals who are deemed as ineligible to receive SSI benefits. Some of those groups include anyone who has a warrant against them for a felony crime, those who have avoided custody after a conviction of a felony crime, and those who violated a condition of parole or probation as imposed by State or Federal law. Should an applicant receiving SSI benefits be jailed or imprisoned. They will not be eligible to receive benefits for a full calendar month of incarceration.
Applying for Supplemental Security Income
You can complete the application for SSI online at the Social Security Administration website (http://www.socialsecurity.gov) or by calling 800-772-1213 to schedule an appointment with an SSA representative.
Parents or guardians for children under the age of 18 can file the application if the child is blind or disabled. Individuals will need to provide items to the office at the time of application. A list of necessary items includes:
- Social Security Card
- Birth Certificate (Or Other Verifiable Proof Of Age)
- A Copy Of Your Lease And Landlord’s Contact Information Or Your Mortgage Statement
- Checking And Savings Account Statements, Payroll Stubs, Insurance Policies, And All Other Information About Your Income And Assets.
- The Contact Information For Doctors, Hospitals And Medical Clinics That Treated Your Disability Or Have Documentation Of Blindness
- Proof Of Us Citizenship Or Non-Citizen Status
- Information from Your Bank To Establish Direct Deposit of Benefit Funds
Appealing a Negative Decision
In the event you are turned down for benefits you believe you are entitled to receive, you have a right to file an appeal with the Social Security Administration. You can choose an attorney to handle the case of appeal to try and get a reverse decision.
