1 / 12

Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Jessica Deno Sociology 431. What is SSI?. SSI is financed fully by the federal general revenues (not the Social Security Trust Funds) and administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA)

xarles
Download Presentation

Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Jessica Deno Sociology 431

  2. What is SSI? • SSIis financed fully by the federal general revenues (not the Social Security Trust Funds) and administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA) • It was designed to help aged, blind, and disabled people, who have little or no income • It provides cash to meet basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter.

  3. Who benefits from SSI? • The program benefits disabled adults and children who have limited income and resources. • SSI benefits also are payable to people 65 and older without disabilities who meet the financial limits. • People who have worked long enough may also be able to receive Social Security disability or retirement benefits as well as SSI.

  4. Are You Eligible? • Anyone who is: • aged (age 65 or older) • blind • disabled • And, you must: • have limited income • have limited resources • be a U.S. citizen or national, or in one of certain categories of aliens • be a resident of one of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, or the Northern Mariana Islands • not be absent from the country for a full calendar month or  for 30 consecutive days or more • apply for any other cash benefits or payments for which you may be eligible (for example, pensions, Social Security benefits) • give SSA permission to contact any financial institution and request any financial records about you

  5. Intentions • Since its inception in 1972, the percentage of older persons receiving SSI benefits has declined, while blind or disabled beneficiaries have increased • SSI was intended to be a protective system or “safety net” but it has not eliminated poverty among vulnerable elders • Federal benefits only equal about 75 percent of the poverty level for single individuals • And equals 82 percent for couples ages 65 and over • It was assumed that SSI recipients would also receive benefits such as food stamps and that states would contribute revenues to bring their total benefit package up to the poverty threshold

  6. States Involvement • In most states, a person who receives SSI benefits is automatically eligible for Medicaid benefits • Even with state supplements, SSI fails to bring needy older adults out of the poverty threshold

  7. The Breakdown • Only 27 percent of SSI recipients are age 65 and older • More than 50 percent of these recipients have no sources of income other than SSI • SSI reaches only 40-60 percent of eligible low-income persons, due to: • Lack of information, prior negative experience, or don’t want to be stigmatized as receiving “welfare.”

  8. Difference between SSA disability & SSI disability • A disabled or blind individual must have paid Social Security taxes to becomeinsured for benefits. • A disabled or blind adult or child must meet all of the following categories: • Have limited income • Have limited resources • Be a U.S. citizen or national, or in one of certain categories of aliens • Live in the United States or Northern Mariana Islands Social Security Disability Insurance Supplemental Security Income

  9. Participation • One reason for low participation is that older adults who would be eligible think their income or assets make them ineligible • SSI’s eligibility rules in accordance with income and resource limits threaten the dignity of recipients

  10. Monthly Benefits • The monthly benefit is reduced by subtracting the net income • In the case of an eligible individual with an eligible spouse, the amount payable is divided equally between husband and wife, further reducing benefits

  11. Changes in Congress • Congress has attempted to facilitate elders participation in SSI and the food stamp program by enacting provisions to simplify applications and certification of need • Even if the application process is made easier and less intimidating to those with limited resources and education, the means-tested nature of SSI may prevent applications by aging baby boomers

  12. References • http://www.ssa.gov/ssi/ • http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pgm/ssi.htm • http://ssa-custhelp.ssa.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/245/~/difference-between-social-security-disability-and-ssi-disability • Hooyman, Nancy R., and H. Asuman Kiyak. Social Gerontology: A Multidisciplinary Perspective. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon, 2011. Print.

More Related