Social Security to Remove Barriers to Accessing SSI Payments
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: March 27, 2024
Today, the Social Security Administration published a final rule, “Omitting Food from In-Kind Support and Maintenance (ISM) Calculations.” The final rule announces the first of several updates to the agency’s Supplemental Security Income (SSI) regulations that will help people receiving and applying for SSI.
“A vital part of our mission is helping people access crucial benefits, including SSI,” said Martin O’Malley, Commissioner of Social Security. “Simplifying our policies is a common-sense solution that reduces the burden on the public and agency staff and helps promote equity by removing barriers to accessing payments.”
SSI provides monthly payments to adults and children with a disability or blindness, and to adults aged 65 and older, who have limited income and resources. SSI 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 our old rules, ISM includes food, shelter, or both a person receives – the agency counts ISM as unearned income, which may affect a person’s eligibility or reduce their payment amount.
Under the final rule, beginning September 30, 2024, the agency will no longer include food in ISM calculations. The new policy removes a critical barrier for SSI eligibility due to an applicant’s or recipient’s receipt of informal food assistance from friends, family, and community networks of support. The new policy further helps in several important ways: the change is easier to understand and use by applicants, recipients, and agency employees; applicants and recipients have less information to report about food assistance received from family and friends, removing a significant source of burden; reducing month-to-month variability in payment amounts will improve payment accuracy; and the agency will see administrative savings because less time will be spent administering food ISM.
The agency continuously examines programmatic policy and makes regulatory and sub-regulatory changes as appropriate. Look for more SSI announcements in the coming weeks.
For more information on the SSI program, including who is eligible and how to apply, visit Supplemental Security Income.
To read the final rule “Omitting Food from In-Kind Support and Maintenance Calculations,” visit Federal Register: Omitting Food From In-Kind Support and Maintenance Calculations.
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Tags: Benefits, Social Security benefits, SSI
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Beth B.
This is a very hard hitting rule! I do not receive food from anyone else and I along with my son rely on the food assistance…it is just him and I. I am on disability and receive the food assistance because I am dual complete. Now I won’t have help feeding myself or my son!! This absolutely brings me to tears because it is hard enough as it is right now. Is there another option to receive food assistance? Please dear lord help!!!!!!!!
John C.
I would like to know if illegal immigrants are receiving money from the social security account. Also who will be eligible this coming September 30th. If they have not paid into this, they should not have any rights to it.
Kim R.
I Would Like To Know How Come My Dad That’s 90 Years Old Is Only Receiving $357.00 Dollars A Month For SSI, He Has Multiple Health Problems, Physically & Mentally, How Can I Get His SSI Reevaluate To See If He Qualifies For A Higher Rate Of SSI Benefits ?
Sue
We’re sorry to hear about your father’s situation, Kim. For security reasons, we do not have access to private information in this venue. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) makes payments to people with disabilities, or people who are 65 and older, who have limited income and resources. The monthly federal SSI payment in 2024 is $943, though some states offer an extra payment called a state supplement. Because SSI is a needs-based program, your father’s SSI payment may be lower based on his income and living situation. For more information, check out How much you could get from SSI.
To speak with a representative, you and your father can contact his local Social Security office or call us at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. If your father needs help managing his benefits, you may want to apply to become his representative payee. We hope this helps.