December 2019
Social Security Protects Children with Disabilities
For families with limited income and resources, the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program helps support children with qualifying disabilities. To qualify:
- A child must have a medical condition, or a combination of conditions, which results in marked and severe functional limitations. This requirement means that the condition(s) must very seriously limit the child’s activities.
- A child’s condition(s) must be disabling, or expected to be disabling, for at least 12 months; or the condition(s) must be expected to result in death.
- A child, who is not blind, must not be working or earning more than $1,260 a month in 2020. A child who is blind must not be working or earning more than $2,110. (This amount usually changes every year.)
We consider family income and resources. If the parents of the child or children have more income and resources than are allowed, then the child or children will not qualify for SSI. Your clients can read more about children’s benefits at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/EN-05-10026.pdf.
Your clients can also visit www.socialsecurity.gov/people/parents to learn more about all we do for children.
Social Security Benefits Increase in 2020
Each year, we announce the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). By law, federal benefits increase when the cost of living rises, as measured by the Department of Labor’s Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W).
Nearly 69 million Americans will see a 1.6 percent increase in their Social Security benefits and Supplemental Security Income payments in 2020.
Other changes that will happen in January 2020 reflect the increase in the national average wage index. For example, the maximum amount of earnings subject to Social Security payroll tax will increase from $132,900 to $137,700. The earnings limit for workers who are younger than "full" retirement age (age 66 for people born in 1943 through 1954) will increase to $18,240. We deduct $1 from benefits for each $2 earned over $18,240. The earnings limit for people turning 66 in 2020 will increase to $48,600. We deduct $1 from benefits for each $3 earned over $48,600 until the month the worker turns age 66.
More information about the 2020 COLA is available at www.socialsecurity.gov/cola.
Quick and Easy W-2 Filing Options on Business Services Online
The first stop for information on W-2s, electronic filing, and verifying Social Security numbers should be www.socialsecurity.gov/bso/bsowelcome.htm. Our online suite of services offers fast, free, and secure online W-2 filing options to accountants and people who process W-2s (the Wage and Tax Statement) and W-2Cs (Statement of Corrected Income and Tax Amounts).
You must register to use these services. You can read more about electronic wage reporting at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/EN-05-10034.pdf.
We Have the Answers
When your clients have questions about Social Security, let them know that they can find many of the answers at our Frequently Asked Questions page at faq.ssa.gov.
We feature our most-asked questions at the top of the page to help people find quick answers to their most common questions. Your clients can also browse by topics like:
- Social Security Number
- Online Services
- Retirement
- Medicare
For detailed information on nearly all of our topics, your clients can visit our publications library at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs. We make each publication available in text, audio, and downloadable formats.
Social Security Holiday Field Office Closings
We’d like to wish you “happy holidays” from our family to yours! If you need to do business with us during the holiday season, we want you and your clients to know that we will be closed on Christmas Eve, December 24, Christmas Day, December 25, and New Year’s Day, January 1.
Your clients may not need to visit or call a field office to do business with us. For a list of our secure and convenient online services, please visit www.socialsecurity.gov/onlineservices.
