If the value of your resources that we count is over the allowable limit at the beginning of the month, you cannot receive SSI for that month. If you decide to sell the excess resources for what they are worth, you may receive SSI beginning the month after you sell the excess resources.
If you no longer receive SSI, we may withhold your overpayment from a Federal Income Tax refund and/or from any future Social Security benefits you may receive. If you become eligible for SSI in the future, we will withhold your overpayment from future SSI payments.
About $1200 a month will cause you to automatically lose your SSI.
Where the overpayment is $2,000 or less and you file a request for reconsideration or waiver, Social Security will waive any collection of the over-payment (unless you were at fault in creating the overpayment). This is known as the SSI $1,000 Rule.
However, the SSI program does not include the value of a home in the total assets of its applicants or recipients, so buying a home in and of itself will not cause one to lose SSI.
Exit from the SSI program can be due to death, medical recovery, excess income (earned or unearned), excess resources, or a change in living arrangements.
There are income and asset limits for beneficiaries of SSI. If you meet or exceed either of these limits, your SSI payments will be reduced by the SSA and potentially terminated. In 2024, the income limit for an individual is $1,971. The limit for a couple is $2,915.
For those receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI), it's a different story. SSI is needs-based, so winnings count as income or resources. If your total income exceeds the program's limits, your benefits may stop temporarily. Once your resources drop below the allowed amount, you could qualify again.
We will send you a notice, to inform you about your claim, benefit status or benefit amount. A notice will be sent if your benefit amount or eligibility changes and/or terminates.
Note that there is no back pay maximum, either for SSDI or SSI.
They can also “garnish” your wages. Garnish means that money is taken out of your wages to repay SSA. SSA must give you notice 60 days before it can take steps to get your tax refund or garnish your wages. This gives you time to contact SSA to ask for a repayment plan.
It does not scrutinize or restrict specific items or transactions. Therefore, beneficiaries can use their SSI funds for various purchases according to their personal needs and preferences.
Social Security will take into consideration the amount of your assets, because it is a needs-based program. To be eligible for SSI, your assets must be less than $2,000 for an individual and less than $3,000 for a married couple. However, not all assets count towards the resource limits.
If your benefits terminated because of excess earned income or a combination of earned and unearned income, you can request to have your benefits started again without having to complete a new application. We call this process “expedited reinstatement.”
It may be possible for you to save money and be able to keep your SSI payments and waiver services. The four most common ways to save money and not lose benefits are with an ABLE account, a Special Needs Trust, an Individual Development Account, and a PASS account.
The maximum monthly SSI payment for 2025 is $967 for an individual and $1,450 for a couple.
Yes, receiving SSI doesn't prevent you from getting a tax refund, though you're not likely to get a refund unless you qualify for one of the credits discussed above. Read more about tax refunds for disability recipients.
SSI benefits may cease due to various reasons such as: Changes in income or assets: An increase in income or assets can affect your eligibility for SSI benefits. Changes in health: If your health improves to the point where you no longer meet the SSA's disability standards, your SSI benefits could be discontinued.
The law requires us to perform a medical CDR at least once every three years, however, if you have a medical condition that is not expected to improve, we will still review your case, once every five to seven years.
Exactly how much in earnings do you need to get a $3,000 benefit? Well, you just need to have averaged about 70% of the taxable maximum. In our example case, that means that your earnings in 1983 were about $22,000 and increased every year to where they ended at about $100,000 at age 62.
The value of the things you own must be less than $2,000 if you're single or less than $3,000 for married couples living together. We don't count the value of your home if you live in it, and, usually, we don't count the value of your car. We may not count the value of certain other resources, such as a burial plot.
For example, effective 09/30/2024, if someone helps pay for your rent, mortgage, or utilities, we may reduce the amount of your SSI. Also, if others in your household pay for or provide all of your meals and your shelter, we reduce the amount of your SSI.
You can use the money you get from Social Security to pay for whatever you need—including paying for your utilities and rent. SSI doesn't have limits on how much you can spend for rent. Find out if you qualify for SSDI benefits. Pre-qualify in 60 seconds for up to $4,018 per month and 12 months back pay.