Residency
SSI benefits are not paid solely to US citizens, but may also be paid to aliens legally residing in the United States.Conversely, citizens may find themselves ineligible because they do not currently reside within the United States; exceptions apply for children of military parent(s) who were born overseas, were disabled or became blind overseas, or first applied for benefits overseas and for students studying abroad who were eligible for SSI in the month prior to leaving the US, whose absence will be for less than 1 year, and who are studying to enhance their ability to perform substantial gainful activity, sponsored by an educational institution in the US, and would not be available to the individual in the US.Several restrictions apply to the eligibility of aliens however. These include being in a "qualified alien" category and meeting an exception condition.
There are seven categories of qualified aliens based on Department of Homeland Security (DHS) immigration statuses. This includes:
those admitted as Lawfully admitted for permanent residence (LAPR)
those granted conditional entry pursuant to section (a)(7) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA)
those paroled into the US under section 212(d)(5) of the INA for a period of at least 1 year
those who are refugees admitted to the US under section 207 of the INA
those granted asylum under section 208 of the INA
those whose deportation is being withheld under sections 243(h) or 241(b)(3) of the INA
Cuban/Haitian entrants under section 501(e) of the Refugee Education Assistance Act of 1980.
There are 5 exception conditions. These include:
having already been receiving SSI on 8/22/1996
having 40 qualifying credits (using SSI as a supplement to Retirement or Disability Insurance Benefits) when in LAPR status
being a veteran, active duty member of the U. S. military service, or being the spouse or dependant child of an individual who is
having been lawfully residing in the US on 8/22/1996 and being blind and disabled (excluding aged individuals)
Collateral consequences of warrants, parole, and probation[edit]
Since Congress enacted “fugitive felons” and parole/probation violation provisions in 1996, the Social Security Administration has suspended benefits and charged overpayments to individuals receiving SSI on the basis of outstanding warrants.Enforcement of the provisions greatly increased in 2000, as SSA reached agreements with local law enforcement to match databases.
Individuals who are (1) fleeing to avoid prosecution or incarceration for a felony or (2) violating probation or parole are statutorily prohibited from receiving SSI or Title II Social Security benefits.
The Social Security Administration interpreted the statutes broadly to include individuals whose names were matched against a warrant database. Some individuals lost benefits even though the warrant in question was for a different person. For others, the presence of a warrant did not necessarily mean that an individual was "fleeing," or that the individual had violated probation or parole.
As a result of two legal cases (Martinez v. Astrue and Clark v. Astrue), the SSA may not suspend benefits based merely on the evidence that a warrant had been issued.Back benefits were owed to hundreds of thousands of recipients.
Benefit details
Payments for SSI are made for the first day of the month, unless the first of the month is on a Weekend or a legal holiday, in which case the payment is made on the first day prior that is not a weekend or a legal holiday. The minimum benefit is $1 (USD).
The SSI program, or Title XVI of the Social Security Act 1611, provides monthly federal cash assistance of up to $733 for an individual and $1,100 for a couple (as of 2015) to help meet the costs of basic needs of food, shelter and clothing. In most states, SSI eligibility usually assures concurrent access to important medical coverage under the various state Medicaid programs and sometimes access to Section 8 housing benefits. In some states, supplemental payments are made by the state, increasing the cash assistance available through SSI. For example, the state of California, through its State Supplementation Program (SSP), increases the cash assistance, making the total 2015 SSI benefit $889.40 per month.
SSI takes the income and resources of the applicant or recipient into consideration. People who have qualified for Social Security disability benefits may receive SSI during the 5-month waiting period, if they meet the income and resource requirements. The resource limit for single individuals is $2,000 and, for married individuals, is $3,000. Resources include anything that is cash or can be turned into cash, such as art, mineral rights, stocks or other investments, and real property. In some situations, however, these resources can be excluded. SSI benefits are generally reduced dollar-for-dollar by any unearned income, such as TANF, alimony, unemployment insurance, Social Security Disability or Retirement benefits. Earned income, from wages or self-employment, is treated more favorably; e.g., a person who earns a wage of $750 per month may still be eligible, while someone who receives $750 per month in alimony may be ineligible. It is permissible, subject to regulations, to be employed and yet continue to receive SSI. Even if a person no longer receives SSI, due their wage or self-employment income being too high, they may still be eligible for Medicaid benefits, under what are referred to as 1619 provisions. An examination of eligibility for SSI also considers the income of "deemors," e.g., a spouse who lives with the recipient, a parent or parents who live with a child recipient (recipient under the age of 18) or, in some cases, the sponsor of an alien.
Social Security determines the first month of potential eligibility for SSI by the date of the intent to file an application for benefits as expressed to the Social Security Administration, and an application is filed within 60 days of the date of that expressed intention. To begin the process, people wishing to be considered must contact Social Security (there is a toll-free telephone number) to set up a disability interview. No online application for SSI is currently available; however, one may apply for Social Security Disability or Retirement benefits online and add the application for SSI via a telephone-scheduled interview. Calls placed on the last day of the month, where the interview is scheduled for the second week of the following month, will result in SSI eligibility being retroactive to the month in which the call was made to set up the appointment, although the first check will not be received until the next month. For example, a person calls on 31 January to set up an appointment for February. January will be the month-of-application for determination purposes, but the first benefit check will be issued in February. Medicaid benefits usually begin the first month in which both medical and financial requirements are met.
An immigrant, in order to qualify for SSI, must have been a legal resident of the United States before the Welfare Reform Act of 1996 took effect (August 22, 1996). Those who arrived after that date may be denied by SSI benefits. However, the regulations governing alien eligibility for SSI are complex and contain many exceptions; for instance, asylees, refugees, spouses of a member of the U.S. military, and some LAPR may be qualified aliens. A person who has been in LAPR status for at least 5 years, has a valid I-551[clarification needed] issued by the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration, and has been employed in the United States, may qualify. People wishing to learn whether they might qualify for SSI should contact the Social Security Administration to schedule an appointment for an interview.
A person who is incarcerated for an entire calendar month is ineligible for benefits. If the person is in a medical facility, where at least 50% of their costs are paid by Medicaid, then their benefit may be reduced to $30.
Calculation
Calculation of an SSI benefit begins with the Federal Benefit Rate (FBR). The FBR for 2015 and 2016 is $733 for an individual and $1,100 for a couple.
The initial benefit levels for SSI in 1972 was the same as the average monthly benefit as a retired worker under the Social Security retirement benefits program. In August 1974 Congress established legislation to automatically increase SSI benefits by the same percentage and at the same time as Social Security retirement, survivors, and disability benefits.
The benefit payable to a couple is smaller than the combined benefits payable to two individuals in order to take account of the fact that two people living together can live more economically than if each lived alone. However, the reduced SSI couple benefit applies only to those who are legally married, which gives beneficiaries an incentive not to marry.
An issue of importance has been additional household costs caused by the disability of a beneficiary. The original concept of SSI was to ensure a minimum income. Research on household needs includes examining potential options to meet those needs.
A major purpose of allowing a certain amount of assets was: to cover major costs of an urgent nature, such as to replace a furnace or another essential appliance. The costs of such items have increased considerably since 1989.
There are seven categories of qualified aliens based on Department of Homeland Security (DHS) immigration statuses. This includes:
those admitted as Lawfully admitted for permanent residence (LAPR)
those granted conditional entry pursuant to section (a)(7) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA)
those paroled into the US under section 212(d)(5) of the INA for a period of at least 1 yearthose who are refugees admitted to the US under section 207 of the INA
those granted asylum under section 208 of the INA
those whose deportation is being withheld under sections 243(h) or 241(b)(3) of the INA
Cuban/Haitian entrants under section 501(e) of the Refugee Education Assistance Act of 1980.
There are 5 exception conditions. These include:
having already been receiving SSI on 8/22/1996
having 40 qualifying credits (using SSI as a supplement to Retirement or Disability Insurance Benefits) when in LAPR status
being a veteran, active duty member of the U. S. military service, or being the spouse or dependant child of an individual who is
having been lawfully residing in the US on 8/22/1996 and being blind and disabled (excluding aged individuals)
Collateral consequences of warrants, parole, and probation[edit]
Since Congress enacted “fugitive felons” and parole/probation violation provisions in 1996, the Social Security Administration has suspended benefits and charged overpayments to individuals receiving SSI on the basis of outstanding warrants.Enforcement of the provisions greatly increased in 2000, as SSA reached agreements with local law enforcement to match databases.
Individuals who are (1) fleeing to avoid prosecution or incarceration for a felony or (2) violating probation or parole are statutorily prohibited from receiving SSI or Title II Social Security benefits.
The Social Security Administration interpreted the statutes broadly to include individuals whose names were matched against a warrant database. Some individuals lost benefits even though the warrant in question was for a different person. For others, the presence of a warrant did not necessarily mean that an individual was "fleeing," or that the individual had violated probation or parole.
As a result of two legal cases (Martinez v. Astrue and Clark v. Astrue), the SSA may not suspend benefits based merely on the evidence that a warrant had been issued.Back benefits were owed to hundreds of thousands of recipients.
Benefit details
Payments for SSI are made for the first day of the month, unless the first of the month is on a Weekend or a legal holiday, in which case the payment is made on the first day prior that is not a weekend or a legal holiday. The minimum benefit is $1 (USD).
The SSI program, or Title XVI of the Social Security Act 1611, provides monthly federal cash assistance of up to $733 for an individual and $1,100 for a couple (as of 2015) to help meet the costs of basic needs of food, shelter and clothing. In most states, SSI eligibility usually assures concurrent access to important medical coverage under the various state Medicaid programs and sometimes access to Section 8 housing benefits. In some states, supplemental payments are made by the state, increasing the cash assistance available through SSI. For example, the state of California, through its State Supplementation Program (SSP), increases the cash assistance, making the total 2015 SSI benefit $889.40 per month.
SSI takes the income and resources of the applicant or recipient into consideration. People who have qualified for Social Security disability benefits may receive SSI during the 5-month waiting period, if they meet the income and resource requirements. The resource limit for single individuals is $2,000 and, for married individuals, is $3,000. Resources include anything that is cash or can be turned into cash, such as art, mineral rights, stocks or other investments, and real property. In some situations, however, these resources can be excluded. SSI benefits are generally reduced dollar-for-dollar by any unearned income, such as TANF, alimony, unemployment insurance, Social Security Disability or Retirement benefits. Earned income, from wages or self-employment, is treated more favorably; e.g., a person who earns a wage of $750 per month may still be eligible, while someone who receives $750 per month in alimony may be ineligible. It is permissible, subject to regulations, to be employed and yet continue to receive SSI. Even if a person no longer receives SSI, due their wage or self-employment income being too high, they may still be eligible for Medicaid benefits, under what are referred to as 1619 provisions. An examination of eligibility for SSI also considers the income of "deemors," e.g., a spouse who lives with the recipient, a parent or parents who live with a child recipient (recipient under the age of 18) or, in some cases, the sponsor of an alien.
Social Security determines the first month of potential eligibility for SSI by the date of the intent to file an application for benefits as expressed to the Social Security Administration, and an application is filed within 60 days of the date of that expressed intention. To begin the process, people wishing to be considered must contact Social Security (there is a toll-free telephone number) to set up a disability interview. No online application for SSI is currently available; however, one may apply for Social Security Disability or Retirement benefits online and add the application for SSI via a telephone-scheduled interview. Calls placed on the last day of the month, where the interview is scheduled for the second week of the following month, will result in SSI eligibility being retroactive to the month in which the call was made to set up the appointment, although the first check will not be received until the next month. For example, a person calls on 31 January to set up an appointment for February. January will be the month-of-application for determination purposes, but the first benefit check will be issued in February. Medicaid benefits usually begin the first month in which both medical and financial requirements are met.
An immigrant, in order to qualify for SSI, must have been a legal resident of the United States before the Welfare Reform Act of 1996 took effect (August 22, 1996). Those who arrived after that date may be denied by SSI benefits. However, the regulations governing alien eligibility for SSI are complex and contain many exceptions; for instance, asylees, refugees, spouses of a member of the U.S. military, and some LAPR may be qualified aliens. A person who has been in LAPR status for at least 5 years, has a valid I-551[clarification needed] issued by the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration, and has been employed in the United States, may qualify. People wishing to learn whether they might qualify for SSI should contact the Social Security Administration to schedule an appointment for an interview.
A person who is incarcerated for an entire calendar month is ineligible for benefits. If the person is in a medical facility, where at least 50% of their costs are paid by Medicaid, then their benefit may be reduced to $30.
Calculation
Calculation of an SSI benefit begins with the Federal Benefit Rate (FBR). The FBR for 2015 and 2016 is $733 for an individual and $1,100 for a couple.
The initial benefit levels for SSI in 1972 was the same as the average monthly benefit as a retired worker under the Social Security retirement benefits program. In August 1974 Congress established legislation to automatically increase SSI benefits by the same percentage and at the same time as Social Security retirement, survivors, and disability benefits.
The benefit payable to a couple is smaller than the combined benefits payable to two individuals in order to take account of the fact that two people living together can live more economically than if each lived alone. However, the reduced SSI couple benefit applies only to those who are legally married, which gives beneficiaries an incentive not to marry.
An issue of importance has been additional household costs caused by the disability of a beneficiary. The original concept of SSI was to ensure a minimum income. Research on household needs includes examining potential options to meet those needs.
A major purpose of allowing a certain amount of assets was: to cover major costs of an urgent nature, such as to replace a furnace or another essential appliance. The costs of such items have increased considerably since 1989.
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