Earned Income Exclusion (SSI eligible)
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Do we count all your earned income when we figure your Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payment?

We do not count the first $65 of the earnings you receive in a month, plus ½ of the remaining earnings. This means that we count less than ½ of your earnings when we figure your SSI payment amount.

We apply this exclusion in addition to the $20 general income exclusion. We apply the $20 general income exclusion first to any unearned income that you may receive.

The following table shows 2 examples of how we apply the general income exclusion and the earned income exclusions.

Examples of the Earned Income Exclusion (SSI eligible)

Situation 1

Ed receives $361 SSDI each month, wages of $289 each month, and no other income.

  • $ 361
    SSDI
    -20
    General income exclusion
  • $ 341
    Countable unearned income
  • $ 289
    Earned income
    -65
    Earned income exclusion
  • $ 224
  • -112
    ½ remaining earnings
  • $ 112
    Countable earned income
  • $ 341
    Countable unearned income
    + 112
    Countable earned income
  • $ 453
    Total countable income
  • $ 967
    2025 Federal Benefit Rate
    - 453
    Total countable income
  • $ 514
    SSI payment

Available income:

  • $ 361
    SSDI
    + 289
    Earned income
    + 514
    SSI
  • $ 1,164 Total Monthly Income

Situation 2

Ed receives wages of $450 each month, no SSDI, and $13 of unearned income from another source.

  • $ 0
    SSDI
    $ 13
    Other unearned income
    -20
    General income exclusion
  • $ 7
    Remaining general income exclusion
  • $ 450
    Earned income
    -7
    Remaining general income exclusion
  • $ 443
  • -65
    Earned income exclusion
  • $ 378
  • -189
    ½ remaining earnings
  • $ 189
    Total countable income
  • $ 967
    2025 Federal Benefit Rate
    - 189
    Total countable income
  • $ 778
    SSI payment

Available income:

  • $ 450
    Earned income
    + 13
    Other unearned income
    + 778
    SSI
  • $ 1,241 Total Monthly Income