Announcing Changes to Our Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Program
Date:
Dear Colleague,
Your feedback is very important to us. We heard your concerns and are pleased to announce some changes to the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. We have made the following simplifications, effective September 30, 2024:
- Omitting Food from In-Kind Support and Maintenance (ISM) Calculations: We are no longer including food in our ISM calculations. ISM is a type of unearned income that may affect a person's SSI eligibility or payment amount.
- Expansion of Rental Subsidy Policy: We are expanding our rental subsidy policy nationwide for SSI applicants and recipients who are related to the landlord (or their spouse) as a parent or child. We will no longer consider that someone is receiving discounted rent when their required monthly rent equals or exceeds a certain amount. Previously, this exception was limited to SSI applicants and recipients in 7 states.
- Expanding the Definition of a Public Assistance Household in 2 Ways: First, we are including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program as an additional means-testing public income-maintenance (PIM) program.
Second, we are revising the definition of a public assistance household to one that has both:
- An SSI applicant or recipient and,
- At least one other household member who receives one or more qualifying PIM payments.
If a person lives in a public assistance household, we consider that the person is not receiving ISM from other members of the household.
Under Social Security's prior definition, every member of the household had to receive a PIM payment.
Please share our blog with your members.
You may also use the following language to share these changes with your members:
You may be eligible for more support from Social Security.
We are pleased to inform you of significant changes Social Security is making to the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, effective September 30, 2024.
The changes could positively affect your payment amount. You may be eligible if:
- Someone else provides you with food. It will no longer be included in Social Security's calculations of in-kind support and maintenance (ISM).
- You or someone else in the household is related to the landlord (or their spouse) as a parent or child, your discounted rent may no longer affect your payment amount and eligibility for SSI, depending on the amount of the rent (e.g., ISM calculations).
- Someone else in your household is receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, you will now be considered as living in a public assistance household.
- You live with at least one other household member who receives one or more of the qualifying public income-maintenance payments, you may be considered as living in a public assistance household.
If you get SSI, your payment amount may be affected, and you may have fewer reporting responsibilities. If you were previously denied SSI, you may be eligible now.
Please contact your local Social Security office or call
For more details, visit the Social Security blog.
Thank you for your continued support!
Sincerely,
Dawn Bystry
Associate Commissioner
Office of Strategic and Digital Communications
OEA.Net.Post@ssa.gov