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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Sandy E.
Social Security Administration, the Courts and Congress AGREED to REMOVE AND CLEAR the 2020 Overpayment Payment Center Cases. Please start with the non recipients FIRST please. It’s affecting the NON RECIPIENTS. Remove and clear those 2020 Overpayment Payment Center Cases from the system ASAP.
Nicole M.
If someone has a debt, then you tell them and do not stop them from working using threats and technology to block and oppress income.
SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION is being RANSACKED FROM WITHIN by their very own OIG, CDI PROGRAM UNIT, overseers, contractors and affiliates. They are intentionally causing financial hardships, blocking all types of income so you can’t progress, poisoning people by giving them unknown substance without their knowledge by threatening an paying someone who usually would have access to your nutrition to put these things into your food and beverages. Finding and USING (doppelgangers) people that look like you to report or say that you been places that you never actually been or at that moment. They intentionally block all opportunities for income and also online sources of income so don’t think being an online trader will work. All these while they threaten and pay people “to not say anything” it’s a secret” “they’re not suppose to know” ” don’t tell them” meanwhile they threaten people to make FALSE statements about the individual and force them to believe conspiracies and many FALSE theories of the reasons why this is OCCURING. SSA is a POVERTY PROGRAM is what they claim to keep you unemployed and isolated. The SSA OIG routinely deal in RACKETEERING, CONSPIRACY AND FRAUD. RANSACKING THE ADMINISTRATION FROM WITHIN. How do you pay an Overpayment within 30 days when SSA is a POVERTY PROGRAM and you’re not allowed to have any money.
Melba
What the? Was that
Allison
I lost some EBT benefits due a small increase in my SSR Benefits. I haven’t tried reapplying for SSI since being denied because I turned 65. I retired early so have to get by on $832 I SS per month. Although do have a tiny royalties income that averages $130 to $140 per month. I was getting more when Covid was affecting those royalties (income decreased by 1/3) but regardless I lost benefits because of the increase in SSR. Idiotic and shameful way to ‘help’ low I cine seniors!
Melba
We all lost a little EBT due cola increase always money cash less EBT with out fail
Juan
What a joke. When will you start coverage for the residents of Puerto Rico?
Holly M.
Overpayments are being pursued by Individuals claiming to be with the social security administration and are threatening individuals, companies, employers not to hire or do business with the Individuals the social security administration is pursuing with the alleged secretive debt they’re not suppose to know exists. The social security administration debt collectors tell neighbors, family, acquaintances and anyone their targeted Individual comes across, that they’re intentionally causing poverty because the individual is in a POVERTY PROGRAM which belongs to the SSA. They laugh and smile about the oppression and despair they are causing. They tell people that the Individual has “debt” that they are “not suppose to know about” and the community tells them, then why are y’all after them? If they are not allowed to work or know that a debt exist? And they simply smile and mention all the money they’re making while the government is WASTING money.
ALEXUS V.
we shall see…
Sylvester P.
WELL, I HAVE BEEN DENIED 6 TIMES IN 6 YEARS. I DIDN’T HAVE A INCOME THEN, AND I STILL DON’T HAVE A INCOME. THIS HAS HURTED ME AND MY FAMILY. WE LOST OUR HOME TO FORECLOSURE, DUE TO NO INCOME.
I HAVE MEDICAL ISSUES THAT KEEPS ME FROM WORKING A JOB. I HAVE PAID INTO SOCIAL SECURITY. I HAVE SUFFERED INJURIES ON THE JOB, THAT CAUSED BLOOD CLOTS IN BOTH LEGS. MY LEGS SWELL UP WHEN I WALK OR STAND ON THEM. I HAVE BEEN THROUGH A LOT PAIN BECAUSE OF THIS. MY HEART HURTS, BECAUSE I CAN’T HELP MY DAUGHTER, WHEN SHE ASK ME FIR MONEY, MONEY THAT I DON’T HAVE.
SHE IS GOING THROUGH A LOT OF HURT AND PAIN. DENYING PEOPLE OF DISABILITY BENEFITS CAN CAUSE PEOPLE TO BECOME HOMELESS.
THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM IN THE UNITED STATES.
WE NEED FINANCIAL HELP
Note: I HAVE FILE FOR SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY BENEFITS AGAIN, FOR THE 7TH TIME.
I DESPERATELY NEED MY DISABILITY BENEFITS
SYLVESTER PAUL HAYES
Diane
I feel for you. I also lost my home after working my entire life. I had to go live with a couple from my church because I had no income to live or eat. I was considering living in my car but when they heard this they said no way. It took me a long time but once I got an attorney it started to move forward. I did all of the paperwork previously but I had to get an attorney. I did get help with food stamps while living with my friends from church that helped to pay my way there. Whenever you get approved you only pay the attorney (1) of your social security payments. By law they can’t charge more than a month’s payment. You don’t pay them either. The social security sends the payment to them. You will get paid from the first time you filed for help.
Prayers for you & your family 🙏🏼
Sylvester P.
Thanks!
Bronn Y.
Hopefully this will be a good thing, but will it change and possibly increase the amount an eligible person receives from snap(Foodstamps) Benefits? for example: my ssi check is $1,097 a month and receive $23 a month in foodstamps snap Benefits which is reduced from the max amount of 250 cause of my monthly income. let’s hope it will.
S.D.
Hi, Bronn. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. For help with your food stamps, you should contact your local SNAP office. Or you can call the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s SNAP information line at 1-800-221-5689. To learn more, check out Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Facts. We hope this helps.
Melba
The cola increases we got this year decrease our EBT every where the higher the cash amount the lower EBT drops and I missed those extra EBT now many advantages Medicare part c plan are giving back money card or money to your check in your zip code and it want drop your EBT
Sd
How shitty
Roberta S.
what is this for
Nicole M.
SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION is being RANSACKED FROM WITHIN by their very own OIG, CDI PROGRAM UNIT, overseers, contractors and affiliates. They are intentionally causing financial hardships, blocking all types of income so you can’t progress, poisoning people by giving them unknown substance without their knowledge by threatening an paying someone who usually would have access to your nutrition to put these things into your food and beverages. Finding and USING (doppelgangers) people that look like you to report or say that you been places that you never actually been or at that moment. They intentionally block all opportunities for income and also online sources of income so don’t think being an online trader will work. All these while they threaten and pay people “to not say anything” it’s a secret” “they’re not suppose to know” ” don’t tell them” meanwhile they threaten people to make FALSE statements about the individual and force them to believe conspiracies and many FALSE theories of the reasons why this is OCCURING. SSA is a POVERTY PROGRAM is what they claim to keep you unemployed and isolated. The SSA OIG routinely deal in RACKETEERING, CONSPIRACY AND FRAUD. RANSACKING THE ADMINISTRATION FROM WITHIN.
Melba
Hmm!