The Social Security Administration (“SSA”) pays benefits to disabled or blind persons under the Social Security Disability Insurance (“SSDI”) program and the Supplemental Security Income (“SSI”). SSI is not collected from individual taxes but gets paid from the allocated funds from the federal budget.
Unlike SSDI, you do not have to have a minimum number of quarters worked to get benefits. However, to qualify for SSI, you must meet other requirements.
Demographic requirements
The SSA requires applicants to be U.S. citizens or nationals. The SSA also pays SSI benefits to classes of noncitizens designated by the Department of Homeland Security. Generally, applicants must reside in one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia. Persons over the age of 65 can qualify for benefits. Applicants under 65 must prove they are blind or disabled to get payments.
Financial qualifications
The purpose of the SSI program is to pay assistance to persons with limited financial resources. Applicants must have a monthly income below $1,767 for 2022 to qualify for benefits. The SSA can include the income of household members in determining a person’s overall monthly income. Payments from some types of benefit programs may not count towards an applicant’s income.
In addition to having an income below the threshold amount, applicants can only have $2,000 per individual in available resources. Resources generally include bank accounts, property and other investments but do not include a personal residence, vehicle or household goods.
The SSI program is a limited benefit program due to the strict requirements imposed on applicants.