Social Security to Expand Access to SSI Program by Updating Definition of a Public Assistance Household
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: June 26, 2024
The Social Security Administration recently published a final rule, “Expand the Definition of a Public Assistance Household.” This final rule announces one of several updates to Supplemental Security Income (SSI) regulations that will help people receiving and applying for SSI. SSI provides monthly payments to adults and children with a disability or blindness, and to adults aged 65 and older. These benefits help pay for basic needs like rent, food, clothing, and medicine. People applying for and receiving SSI must meet eligibility requirements, including income and resource limits.
Under the final rule, beginning September 30, 2024, the agency will expand the definition of a public assistance household to include households receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments and households where not all members receive public assistance. The expanded definition will allow more people to qualify for SSI, increase some SSI recipients’ payment amounts, and reduce reporting burdens for individuals living in public assistance households.
The revised rule also changes the definition of a public assistance household when determining who in a household receives public assistance. The new rule defines a public assistance household as one that has both an SSI applicant or recipient, and at least one other household member who receives one or more of the listed means-tested public income-maintenance (PIM) payments (the any other definition). The previous policy required all household members to receive public assistance. This change benefits SSI recipients living in households where only some members receive public assistance.
“I’m committed to making systemic changes to help people access the critical benefits they need, including SSI,” said Martin O’Malley, Commissioner of Social Security.
“By simplifying our policies and including an additional program geared towards low-income families, such as the SNAP, we are removing significant barriers to accessing SSI. These changes promote greater equity in our programs.”
SNAP is the first PIM benefit added to the agency’s public assistance household definition since it was established in 1980. This change helps ensure the agency’s policies better represent the current landscape of means-tested programs in the United States.
These changes are key because, if an applicant or recipient is determined to be living in a public assistance household, the agency assumes they are not receiving assistance from other household members that would otherwise be counted as income. This will allow more people to qualify for SSI and in some cases, receive a higher SSI payment.
This regulation update is one of several that Social Security is publishing to improve the SSI program. The agency recently announced it will exclude the value of food from SSI benefit calculations. The agency also recently announced it will expand its rental subsidy exception, currently only in place for SSI applicants and recipients residing in seven States, as a nationwide policy.
Social Security continuously examines programmatic policy and makes regulatory and sub-regulatory changes as appropriate.
For more information on the SSI program, including who is eligible and how to apply, visit Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
To read the final rule, visit Federal Register: Expand the Definition of a Public Assistance Household.
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Tags: Disability, General Information, SSI, supplemental security income
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Willette H.
I was getting $191 in SNAP benefits and ODJFS (Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services) claimed they didn’t have knowledge of the amount I was getting from Social Security when they received a letter from Social Security of what my benefits were before I did. So they cut my SNAP benefits $191 to $0 and said that I had to repay back to them close to $1700 because they said I was overpaid. They gave me the option of either them taking what I would have received from SNAP ($191) or making cash payments to them. I opted for them taking the SNAP amount. They weren’t giving me money, so I wasn’t giving them money. So they started immediately taking what I would have received from SNAP ($191) and applying it to the amount I was overpaid. That started in 2017. By 2017 it should have been paid off not including any increase I may have gotten. So from 2017 to 2018, in a year’s time, that’s $2,292. To this date they’re claiming I still own them and even tried to deduct payments of $210 a month ($191 and a $19 service fee) from my Social Security check, which I put an immediate stop to, because I was told by a social worker who worked there that they could not recover from both taking the benefits and trying to make me pay out of pocket as well. The first part of this year I started getting exactly $3 in SNAP benefits and when I called to see if I could get an increase, they said all I would be eligible for was an extra $20 more, so I guess the $20 is being paid on what they claim I still owe. Is the amount I get from SNAP, which is next to nothing, because of what I get from Social Security? I’m pretty sure that it probably cost them more to put that amount on my SNAP card than what I get. Who can survive on $3 a month. That’s ridiculous. If so, is there anything that Social Security can do to help me. No one can survive on $3 a month to purchase food. I couldn’t get a gallon of milk with that amount unless I don’t use the card for a few months and then they’ll start taking from that amount because I’m not using it. So if I’m trying to accumulate a little more on the card before using it, so that I can at least be able to purchase a few items, they’ll start taking from the amount. With what I get a month from Social Security, I’m barely getting by to pay my bills let alone trying to buy food. So I have to make a choice, buy food or pay my bills and keep a roof over my head. Can’t afford to do both. And if by chance I have a little left over after all my bills are paid to get a few food items, I have to pray that nothing else happens because I’m not able to save anything. And if by chance I have a little that I can save, it can’t exceed a certain amount because then you all deduct from my Social Security payments. Can’t win for losing…
Christopher S.
Don’t receive snap
Miss G.
I’m sooo happy to hear this because I have to pay for doctors appointments now. The insurance I had was wonderful then they dropped out of Texas completely. Now I’m doomed. I have medical bills piling up and no help. Still pending application for Medicare share cost. Idk what that is but it sounds like they will help pay a portion which is awesome! My rent goes up every year and I can’t pay anything else after that. I hope it goes up significantly! I have 4 more things added onto my disability! Medication’s are high!
Mama Q.
My daughter just started receiving SSI benefits and SNAP immediately cut our SNAP benefits in half! It’s basically like she no longer qualifies for SNAP benefits because she’s receiving SSI. How is this helping people? This is not helping. It’s making people living situations worse.
B C.
I couldn’t agree more with you!! Especially with the cost of food being sooo high it’s a total nightmare! But what really upsets me and what I can’t understand for the life of me is I know a few people on SNAP that got approved for SSI and remain receiving the full amount of SNAP & also get the full payment amount of SSI as well! Then there’s others who got cut to a partial amount of SNAP and some got cut completely! I don’t understand whatsoever how it works & I have tried numerous times to find out but have got no where! It’s just not fair what so ever!! Praying it gets straightened out for all of us🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Jacqueline B.
My daughter is disabled and have a learning delay and has been on an active IEP for the past 7 years now. We moved from MA to FL and Florida has decided to rule my daughter out as not disabled and canceled her case. This change has cost me not to be able to pay for rent and our utilities. Can be faced with homelessness any day now. I am currently in appeals process and on the council review part of it (receiving no payments since 8/30) This is just sad, God help these people who control everything and seem to make up their own rules and regulations here in Fl.
Tammy
I am so sorry honey. F&@$ that noise! I live in AR, where it’s not AS bad as FL, so you’re welcome to come live here! 😊💜
Marie
I been trying to ge intro place in cudahy. For a long time, I keep geting turn down, I know my records it not the best but dam some of us need a helping hand , I ca Harley walk and I , am on both social security and disability and still can’t caugh a . Breake. Marie carolan
Rebecca W.
My husband receives retirement 800.00 a month, I am disabled and 84.95 a month. My question is this. Why are pinalized? When we were working it didn’t matter how much we made monthly, but now we are below poverty level and still it’s the same.
Lia P.
My 6 year son receives SSI due to his severe disability and has never been included in our SNAP grant because they told me that since he receives SSI he is not eligible for SNAP. With the new rule does this change?
Doo a.
How much money did your 6 year old contribute to ss ? And or your family ! That’s the problem people that collect but not contribute! I feel for your child but TAKE CARE OF YOUR OWN ! I made 17,000 last year 5,000 went for taxes . I get no help from any organization! ” ASK NOT WHAT YOUR COUNTY CAN DO FOR YOU , BUT WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR THIS. OUNTRY ” I think that quote was made by a Democrat!!!! Suck it up !
Christopher A.
THAT WAS A QUOTE FROM JOHN FITZGEARLD KENNEDY WHO WAS MURDERD IN DAAS ,TEXAS ,YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT MEANING IS ABOUT,WECWERE IN A CUBAN CRISES AND RUSSIA SENT MISSLES .
Karri B.
That was a really heartless thing for you to say to someone who has a child with a disabilty; just because you are bitter about something. Its crazy how ignorant you are that you don’t know the difference in SSI. SS, SSD. They all have different rules. Next time you decide to make a comment against a child ; remember it could be you or someone close to you one day that may need the same assistance.
Tara
He has two brain cells, and they’re fightin with each other!
Muri
And it likes like neither had won!
Mark B.
Really THESE immigrants come over get all ,I’m a Republican n Tampa Bay area, all the billions on Ukraine ,USA take care of our own we have money ,NO CHILD SHOULD BE HUNGRY N AMERICA, DEMOCRATS WASTE MONEY ON BS VETS R HOMELESS U R STUPID TO HAVE A DISABLED CHILD COST OF CARE IS 400 K FOR THE KID COST OF MEDICAL IS 20XXMORE HERE
Ron L.
You idiot!!! Helping disabled veterans is not stupid! Your comment was! They gave their lives for your freedom and you say something so ignorant that people are thinking that you’re insane. Pow-Mia…you are not forgotten!
T.Y.
Hello, Lia. Thanks for reading our blog. The new final rule does not change eligibility Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). For more information on SNAP, check out our publication on Nutrition Assistance Programs. We hope this helps.
Dwane W.
I receive s ssi it’s supposed to be 945.00 all I get is is 555 my rent, it was 600A month now. I live in a camper and I cannot afford to live in an apartment or a house. They count my food stamps against my income, so social security deducts me for food stamps.
I can’t even pay for car insurance or gas for my vehicle soon. I will end up living on the street homeless. Due to our country that cares about its people so much. It’s not what you can do for your country. It’s what can our country take from us? And that’s every single thing they can. I used to be proud to be an American. I’m not anymore. I’m ashamed, love this country that we live in. We will help migrants. And killers and murderers and rapist, another country before we will even help our own people. This country is broken. The system is broken and the rich and the powerful. Just keep taking and taken. Have you ever seen the movie purge? That’s what needs to happen. It’s just like they turned on the government in the movie. I wouldn’t need to happen here. I hope Donald Trump wins. Could we need his help? The Democrats have destroyed this country. And i’ve letting it fall into deaf hands sincerely.Dwayne wilcox
Mike B.
You have no clue at all. It is not the democrats that are running this country into the ground, take a look at your child man, he is the reason for all of our problems, if he wins, you won’t be getting SSI or SSD or even your SS for retiring. So keep on with your hate, you will get hate.
Hope F.
Thank you I agree. DT is CONVICTED FELON he cannot even
vote
Vented V.
The problem the rest of us have with you, is not only that you have a clue as to who and whom are running this Country into the ground, the rest of us know your part of the entities that are doing just that.
Hope F.
You are out of your mind. DT is a criminal 34 felonies he cannot even vote. I have a friend that is on the verge of death because a dr. won’t give her care. If you want your rights taken away and need a moron to think for you move to Russia. You must be white and have no brain.
Willette H.
Praying that all works out for you and your son… No one in your position should be denied…
Brandon L.
After retiring at 62 and agreeing I’m taking less at 62 verse 65 or 70 I couldn’t way the wait on that difference of money. Who would have know that shortly after our current administration would help create higher prices in ever aspect of living. So I went back to work. I’m still paying in SS and Medicare. Yes I make to much according to your office. But my question is why does it matter? It’s my money, I agreed to that cut and I’m still working and paying in. Looks like highway robbery to me. Because if I had to stop working as of today, it be three years before I got my SSI. And Medicare was taken out of that payment. Any answer on this on why it’s matters, it’s our money not yours
Donna S.
What do I have to do to get rental assistance in NC
S.S.
Hi Donna. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. You may be able to receive rental assistance from the state in which you live. To learn about other benefits programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), check out our recent blog: How Connecting to Benefits Programs Can Save You Money. We hope this helps.
Paula j.
I’m getting SSI my son and I are both disabled and yet we only get $113 in food stamps. For a while we were only getting $25. It’s because our SSI counts against us can you please fix it so that the SSI doesn’t count against us because we don’t have any money for food after we pay our bills and we really really need those full SNAP benefits.
Bv
I think that it sucks that our ssi payments affect or food stamps with people getting ssi it’s not a whole lot to pay rent buy personal items,food, gas for vehicle and etc and I don’t think our ssi should affect our food stamps either.
Saleh A.
Did the rules change regarding age of SSi recipients?
Gregory W.
I will be 71 in September 2024. I worked over 51 years in my life time. I’m having a serious hardship dealing with inflation for my basic needs. Adding to the problem was my rent going up 35.00 a month and also my electric to .24 cents/KWhr. The above average summer heat has drove my electric bill up to 275.00 last month. I borrowed a $1,000 from Cash 1 so I could pay my electric bill, Medicare Copays, and Rx medicines. I had very little left over for groceries. I suffered a stroke last year and it has taken alot of diagnostic tests to find out what caused my sudden vision loss. I’ve made calls to Social Security last year 3 times but CS Agents stated that my current amount is all that I going to get and that I don’t qualify for SSI. I inherited 157.00 additional monthly bill from Cash 1 for the cash I borrowed.
Quacy M.
eulick pinkard, monty fortune and raheem mcleod is running a fraud and scams in our social security house we pay for. blocking off one of our bathroom or restrooms for usage. the upstairs restroom. the water is block off. Water theft