SSI Income Limits: How Much Can You Earn and Still Qualify?

The Supplemental Security Income program provides essential disability benefits to adults and children. It also pays benefits to adults ages 65 and older who are not blind or disabled.

SSI is a federally funded, need-based program that limits the amount of monthly income and countable resources or assets a person may have and still be eligible for benefits. The program provides monthly cash payments to help you afford a place to live, food to eat, and other necessities.

“How much money can you make and still get SSI,” is a question frequently asked by people applying for benefits through the SSI program. The disability professionals at Disability Experts of Florida provide the answer by explaining the effect that income has on your monthly disability benefits.

SSI Is A Needs-Based Program

Anyone who works and pays Social Security taxes on their earnings may eventually qualify for retirement benefits through the Social Security Administration. An eligible worker who becomes disabled and cannot continue working before retirement age is entitled to disability benefits through the Social Security Disability Insurance program.

SSI is not an entitlement program, as is SSDI, so you need not have worked and paid Social Security taxes on your earnings to collect benefits. Funding for SSI benefits comes from the general fund of the United States Treasury and not from Social Security taxes.

The SSI program helps people who may not have worked long enough to qualify for SSDI benefits to adequately support them if they become disabled. Because eligibility is based on need rather than entitlement, SSI has strict income and asset limits you cannot exceed to qualify for benefits.

Benefits Available Through SSI

If you meet the eligibility requirements for SSI benefits, you can receive a federal benefit of as much as $943 monthly in 2024. Eligible couples may receive up to $1,415 a month.

Many states, including Florida, provide supplemental payments to residents who qualify for SSI. The following six states do not supplement federal SSI benefits:

• Arizona
• Arkansas
• Mississippi
• North Dakota
• Tennessee
• West Virginia

If you qualify for SSI, you also may qualify for medical assistance through Medicaid. Some states, including Florida, make you apply for supplemental payments and Medicaid directly to them. Other states rely on the Social Security Administration, so you must submit only the federal SSI application.

How Does Income Affect SSI Benefits?

The first thing to know about income and SSI benefits is that not all sources of income count to determine if you qualify for SSI or how much you receive each month. Types of income for purposes of SSI include:

• Earned income: Money earned from working at a job or through self-employment, honoraria, sheltered workshop payments, and royalties count as sources of income.
• Unearned income: Income not from earnings, such as Social Security retirement and disability benefits, pensions, state-funded disability payments, interest, dividends, unemployment benefits, and money from friends or relatives.
• Deemed income: A portion of the income of a spouse or parent with whom you reside.
• In-kind income: The value of food or housing provided to you by others is considered income unless you paid fair market value.

As previously mentioned, not all sources of income count. Income that does not count for purposes of SSI eligibility or to determine the amount of your monthly SSI benefits include:

• The first $65 of earned income you receive during the month and one-half of your earnings balance.
• The first $20 of unearned income received during the month. However, if you do not have unearned income to use the exclusion against, you may use it to exclude $20 of your earned income.
• Income tax refunds.
• Grants, fellowships, scholarships, and gifts that you use for tuition and educational expenses.

The list of income exclusions is long, so it’s best to speak with a disability advocate at Disability Experts of Florida to learn about sources of income or exclusions that may apply to you. For example, suppose you earn $317 from a part-time job and do not have income from other sources. Here is how it will affect your SSI benefits for the month:

• First, apply the $20 unearned income exclusion to reduce the income to $297.
• The $297 is reduced by the $65 earned income exclusion to $232. One-half of the $232, or $116, becomes your countable income.
• Your countable income of $116 reduces the monthly federal SSI payment of $943 to $827.

If you live in a state with supplemental payments, the money you get from the state would be added to the $827 federal benefit.

Learn More About Your SSI Benefits

If you have questions about your SSI benefits or need skilled and experienced representation to fight a denial of your claim, help is available from an SSI disability advocate. Contact Disability Experts of Florida today for a free consultation and claim evaluation.