The SSI program is critical. It helps those who are currently suffering from severe financial circumstances get “back on their feet” and secure an income during their most vulnerable times.
Unfortunately, SSI benefits are subject to a number of rules that can cause complications if you’re not careful — especially counted income rules, where if you receive “too much” income from other sources, your SSI eligibility may be at stake.
Let’s take a closer look.
The SSI Program Has Strict Income Limits
As of 2020, claimant eligibility for the SSI program requires an income of less than $1,650 per month. If you earn $1,650 or more per month, then you will not be eligible to receive SSI benefits. Even below $1,650, however, you may still have your benefits reduced depending on the amount of your monthly income.
Understandably, these limitations make it difficult for a successful SSI claimant to survive, as there may barely be enough to pay for rent, bills, food, and other necessities, let alone to catapult yourself into a position of strength where you can transform your earning capacity in the long-term.
As such, it’s important that SSI claimants evaluate all possibilities for increasing their potential monthly income without actually impacting their SSI benefits amount.
Careful Family Assistance Can Avoid SSI Limitations
Family financial assistance can help out in subtle ways without actually interfering with one’s SSI benefits amount — but claimants must be careful to ensure that the assistance fits a category of payment that does not count as income under the SSI program.
The relevant ones are as follows:
- Gifts for educational purposes
- Loans (cash or in-kind) that you have to repay
- Money that a third-party spends to pay for your expenses (aside from food and shelter)
When utilized correctly, these exceptions can give you a higher “real” income without causing an SSI disruption.
For example, you could ostensibly have a family member pay for your phone bills, medical bills, and other such services that are not tied to food and shelter. Depending on your overall expenses, this could tally up to hundreds of dollars per month.
In the alternative, you could have a family member provide a loan to you at an extremely low rate (or at a zero percent interest rate), with the promise to pay it back eventually. Even with such favorable terms, the loan would not count as income against your SSI benefits.
—
If you have questions or concerns regarding your eligibility for SSI or maintaining your SSI benefits despite occasional help from family members, it’s worth consulting an experienced SSI legal professional for comprehensive guidance. Protecting your income is critical. An attorney will work with you to identify income exclusions so that you can receive the maximum amount of funds from all available sources.