The amount of your SSI benefits are fixed since the base amount for each person receiving SSI benefits is the same. However, certain states augment these benefits, and income (in cash or in-kind) can be used to offset these amounts.
An eligible individual receives $841, an eligible individual with an eligible spouse receives $1,261, and an important person receives $421.These figures are produced each year using the average pay index and cost-of-living adjustments.
SSI Payment Formula
Your federal SSI benefit is calculated by subtracting your countable unearned income and countable earned income from the maximum Federal Benefit Amount of $783 for individuals and $1,175 for a pair. The remaining amount is your Federal Amount Due.
State Supplements
Individuals who qualify for SSI or who do not qualify for SSI due to income or resources that are above the federal limitations but below the state's requirements may be eligible for a supplementary benefit. Some states have their own supplementation programs that need an application or contact with the state.
Other states delegate their state supplement management to the Social Security Administration. If your state offers a supplement that you could be eligible for and administers it itself, your Social Security office will direct you to the appropriate agency to apply.
When Is Your Income Counted For SSI?
After you've been approved for SSI, your financial eligibility for the program is determined on a month-by-month basis. This means you could be qualified one month, not the next, and then be eligible again the next.
Your SSI benefit is calculated during your first three months of eligibility, and non-recurring income is only counted in the month it is received. Unless your eligibility is interrupted, your payment will be based on the income you had two months prior.
For example, if you became eligible in March 2019 and began receiving payments in June (the fourth month of eligibility), your April income would determine June's payment; May's income would determine July's payment, and so on. We can see from this example how critical it is to report modifications by the tenth of the month after the change. Underpayments and overpayments, which you may have to reimburse, are reduced when you report on time.
If your qualification is interrupted, the first three months of eligibility are treated as a fresh claim for computation reasons. When an adult SSI recipient changes marital status, or when the parents of a child receiving SSI change marital status, or when an SSI-eligible child leaves a parent's household, this calculating convention is applied.
Conclusion
It's important to know exactly the kinds of benefits you will be receiving when you apply for disability benefits. In some cases, you may not be eligible for the federal government but can still apply through the state. Sometimes, these states have their own supplementation strategies. Thus, the disability awarded to you may vary.
Head to Disability Help in order to find out more about the various types of disabilities that affect people and how to file for disability benefits.
