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SSI Reporting Responsibilities: What Your Clients Need to Know

Date:

Dear Colleague,

To help reduce improper payments, please encourage your clients to report changes that may affect their Supplemental Security Income (SSI) as soon as possible. SSI is a needs-based program, and changes in income, resources, living arrangements, or other factors may affect eligibility or payment amounts.

Your clients must report changes no later than the 10th day of the month after the change occurs. Reporting changes timely and accurately helps ensure they receive the correct SSI payment and can prevent overpayments and underpayments.

What Changes Must Be Reported?

  • Income: Changes in earned income, including wages and self-employment income, and unearned income, such as Social Security benefits, pensions, or cash received from friends or relatives.
  • Living arrangement: Changes in living arrangements, such as moving, changes in household members, or changes in rent or utility costs.
  • Resources: Changes in resources, including bank accounts, cash, property, or other assets. SSI resource limits are $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple.
  • Marital status: Changes in marital status, such as marriage, divorce, or separation.
  • Citizenship or immigration status: Changes in citizenship or lawful non-citizen status.
  • Leaving the United States: Absences of 30 consecutive days or more.
  • Eligibility for other benefits: Becoming eligible for other benefits or assistance.

If your client is married and lives with their spouse, they must report changes that affect their spouse. For a child receiving SSI, changes involving the child’s parents must be reported.

How to Report Wages

Clients who work and receive SSI must report their wages by the 10th day of each month. However, we encourage them to report wages by the 6th day of the month after they get paid to help reduce the risk of overpayment. Clients can also sign-up for monthly SSI wage reporting reminders.

Your client can report wages:

  • Through their employer using the Payroll Information Exchange (PIE). Your client may submit Form SSA-8240 online, at their local Social Security office, or provide authorization by phone. They must continue to report wages using another method until they receive confirmation that PIE processing has started.
  • Through their personal my Social Security account.
  • Through the SSA Mobile Wage Reporting app, available as a free download from the Apple App Store or Google Play.
  • By calling our automated Telephone Wage Reporting System.
  • By contacting their local Social Security Office.

Important: Before using an automated wage-reporting option for the first time, or if your client changes employers, they or their representative payee must contact us to provide employer information and the employer identification number (EIN). They can call us Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778).

For more information about SSI reporting responsibilities, visit our Reporting Responsibilities for SSI webpage or read our publication, What You Need to Know When You Get Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

Please share this information with your members, colleagues, affiliates, and other interested parties.

Sincerely,

Nick Perrine
Chief Communications Officer