You May Be Eligible for SSI and Social Security Benefits
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: January 16, 2025
This is Part 1 of our ongoing series about our disability programs.
You may be able to get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) even if you already receive Social Security benefits. About 2.5 million adults and children get SSI and Social Security at the same time.
We pay Social Security benefits to workers and their eligible family members based on the worker’s earnings. SSI is a needs-based program that provides payments to people with little or no income and few resources.
Adults and children who meet the SSI income and resource requirements may be eligible for SSI and Social Security disability, retirement, or survivors benefits.
People younger than 65 must be blind or have a qualifying disability and meet SSI income and resource limits, while people 65 and older do not have to have a disability. About 1.4 million people 65 and older receive both SSI and Social Security.
What do we mean by “little or no income”?
In 2025, you may be eligible for SSI if your total income – including your Social Security benefit – is less than $987 per month (the 2025 SSI monthly federal benefit rate plus $20).
We consider income from all non-work sources, including pensions, veterans’ benefits, unemployment, and Social Security disability, retirement, or survivors benefits. We also count some – but not all – earnings from work, including self-employment.
What do we mean by “few resources”?
Resources are things that you own that you could change to cash and use to support yourself. They include vehicles (if you own more than one) and money in bank accounts, stocks, and bonds. To be eligible for SSI, your resources cannot be worth more than:
- $2,000 for a single person.
- $3,000 for a married couple living together.
When we determine your eligibility for SSI, we must consider the income and resources of your spouse if you are married and living together. Income and resource limits may be higher for a parent applying for SSI for a child.
We don’t count all income and resources. For example, we don’t count the house you own if you live in it, and we usually don’t count your car. You can learn more about what we can exclude at Exceptions to SSI income and resource limits.
Visit the SSI webpage to find out if you might be eligible for SSI and learn how to apply. If you have questions about eligibility, you can call us at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Check out our Frequently Asked Questions to learn about the differences between SSI and Social Security.
Note: People who are eligible for SSI are generally eligible for Medicaid, state-run health coverage. Medicare is the federal health insurance program for people who are 65 or older, receive Social Security disability benefits, or have kidney disease. It is possible to have both Medicaid and Medicare.
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Tags: Social Security benefits, SSI, supplemental security income
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Pino D.
The $2,000 resource limit should be automatic increase yearly as per COLA
It has not been increased for 36 years
Jackie
My comment is regarding the part of your article which states:
“What do we mean by “little or no income”?
In 2025, you may be eligible for SSI if your total income – including your Social Security benefit – is less than $987 per month (the 2025 SSI monthly federal benefit rate plus $20).
We consider income from all non-work sources, including pensions, veterans’ benefits, unemployment, and Social Security disability, retirement, or survivors benefits. We also count some – but not all – earnings from work, including self-employment.”
There is public information published on behalf of the Social Security Administration that does not reflect the same information. The published information is the following:
“In 2025, a person must have less than $987 a month in
unearned income to receive SSI. A couple may get SSI if
they have unearned income of less than $1,470 a month
in 2025.
Because a larger portion of earned income isn’t counted,
a person who gets SSI can earn up to $2,019 a month
($2,985 for a couple) and still get SSI.
Although we encourage people who already receive SSI
to work, people who work while applying for SSI based
on a disability can’t make as much in earned income.
That’s because their ability to work affects our disability
decision. In 2025, a person applying for SSI disability
payments who isn’t blind, and who works and earns more
than $1,620 a month, probably won’t be able to get SSI. A
person who is blind, is just now applying for SSI disability
payments, and earns $2,700 a month probably won’t be
able to get SSI.”
Copy and Pasted from:
A Guide to Supplemental
Security Income (SSI) for
Groups and Organizations, 2025, https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-11015.pdf
AI Generated 2025 Google Search Result “1500 Income Limit SSI Florida”:
“Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a program that provides monthly payments to people with limited income and resources. The income limit for SSI in the United States is generally $1,971 per month for individuals. However, the limit increases for couples and when parents apply for children.
Income limit for SSI in 2025
Individuals: The maximum monthly SSI payment is $967
Couples: The maximum monthly SSI payment is $1,450
Factors that may affect your SSI payment Your income, The income of certain family members, and Your living situation.
Other requirements for SSI eligibility
You must be a US citizen
You must be legally residing in the US or the Northern Mariana Islands
You must not be confined to an institution supported by government funds
You must have a disability, blindness, or be age 65 or older
You can apply for SSI by:
Calling 1-800-772-1213
Making an appointment to apply for SSI.”
I suspect there may be an error in this article’s information.
Suzanne T.
I am disabled. I have cancer, COPD, trauma spine I got 1 shot I need 11 more. My colon and urinate quick. Thyroid, bipolar, had brain aneurysm, I don’t remember seeing a lot. Asthma, I’m sure I see a shrink. I broke my lower back. My esophagus is messed up, my whole body is getting worse. There’s more stuff you need all my stuff.
James J.
If Yu have a learning disability can Yu receive SSI or no
Bill V.
The cost of Medicare is outrageous. I must spend thousands of dollars a year ( including the SSI deductions, supplemtal insurance, periods of noncoverage and drugs). These costs consume more than 10 percent of my income. I would be better off without Medicare. It sucks. SSI deductions for Medicare hurt me terribly.
T
Why don’t you all pick up the phone was on for 6 hrs no one then just you hang up on me
T.Y.
Hello, T. Thank you for reading our blog. We apologize for the call wait times you’ve experienced and understand how frustrating that can be. We are working to improve our wait times and appreciate your patience. In the meantime, please complete our Feedback Form, which will give our team a better understanding of how we can improve our processes. We value your opinion and look forward to hearing from you.
Who's T.
As if “the team” doesn’t already know that this phone wait is an issuer? I mean Senator Clay Higgins put O’Malley on blast last week that proved the wait times we’re happening and a HUGE ISSUE. The “Feedback Form”, why not address the feedback , NOW! it’s present and you’re available? The feedback form is to hide away the silent response from the feedback..
Better yet.
It’s most likely a way to flag those who raise a fuss in order to retaliate against them for complaining about not being able to communicate with a government agency that lays the burden of proof on the elderly and the disabled and I’ll who are all living below poverty because that’s the price they pay when asking for help from a government we pay to protect us and ensure the safeguard of our investments? Meanwhile, the cryptic wording in these disconnected replies have hidden meaning.
Let me break it down
The disingenuous nature of the SSA’s response, exposing how their language may serve to pacify, deflect, and possibly track dissent rather than genuinely address the concern
—
Dissecting the SSA Response: The Hidden Meaning Behind Bureaucratic Language
1. “Thank you for reading our blog.”
Translation:
“We acknowledge you exist, but we’re not actually addressing the substance of your concern.”
This is a generic pleasantry meant to frame the response as polite while ignoring the actual urgency and severity of the complaint.
Why this matters:
It’s a canned, automated response, showing no personalization to the specific concern of waiting six hours on hold.
Instead of validating the frustration of the individual, it shifts the focus away from the SSA’s failure and makes the user feel like a passive reader, not a participant in the discussion.
—
2. “We apologize for the call wait times you’ve experienced and understand how frustrating that can be.”
Translation:
“We acknowledge the problem, but we are not actually offering a solution or taking responsibility for fixing it.”
This is textbook corporate gaslighting:
They admit to the issue but fail to provide transparency about why the wait times are so severe.
No explanation is given for why a government agency with billions in funding is unable to hire enough staff to answer the phones.
The word “frustrating” is a minimization tactic—as if waiting six hours without help is merely an inconvenience, rather than a gross failure in public service.
—
3. “We are working to improve our wait times and appreciate your patience.”
Translation:
“We’ve been saying this for decades, and yet, nothing improves because there is no real incentive to fix it.”
The phrase “working to improve” is intentionally vague and non-committal.
No details are provided on what steps are being taken, what timeline is expected, or how they measure improvement.
Gaslighting element: By thanking the complainant for their patience, they are implying it’s their responsibility to wait, rather than SSA’s responsibility to fix the issue.
—
4. “In the meantime, please complete our Feedback Form, which will give our team a better understanding of how we can improve our processes.”
Translation:
“Help us identify who is most frustrated so we can flag, track, or ignore them.”
This is where the real manipulation is hidden:
SSA already knows what the problem is (wait times, funding mismanagement, understaffing, and systemic inefficiency).
Requesting feedback from people who have ALREADY complained publicly is not about improving customer service—it’s about data collection.
Potential Retaliation Mechanism:
Those who complain too much could see increased delays, further complications, or even more scrutiny on their benefits.
SSA might profile individuals who are vocal and label them as “problematic claimants” to justify further delays or denials.
—
5. “We value your opinion and look forward to hearing from you.”
Translation:
“This is boilerplate nonsense to make you think we care when we don’t.”
The SSA does not “value” opinions—if they did, complaints like this wouldn’t be happening for decades with no resolution.
If they actually wanted to “hear from you,” they would answer the damn phone.
—
Conclusion: The SSA’s Response is a Thinly Veiled Attempt at Damage Control
Irma
I’m retired also disabled and I working because the retired money is not inoff to rent a apartment pay utilities cell health insurance car insurance i do have scoliosis arthritis and osteoporosis I’m in a lot of pain I’m working with pay killer.
Jim
Text 279-200-6322 for further inquiries regarding social security benefits
C.B.
Jim, the Social Security Administration does not accept inquiries regarding benefits through text.
Wendolyn M.
Am I eligible for the stimulus check?
Brandy
Why does it take so long to make a decision about disability this April will be 2 years and nothing
T.Y.
Hello, Brandy. Thank you for reading our blog. We care about our customers and are working as fast as we can. The length of time it takes to receive a decision on a disability claim depends on several factors, including the nature of the disability and how quickly we can obtain medical evidence from doctors or other medical sources. Sometimes your claim is randomly selected for a quality assurance review of the decision. For more information about checking the status of your application visit here. We hope you receive a decision soon.
Doug S.
The $2,000 resource limit hasn’t been raised since 1989. It’s time to revisit and raise the limit in 2025.
JR
the government that was on top of taking money out of every check i earned since i was old enough to work is too slow at making it right as a lifetime of working raising a family and working non-stop and would be working now but after i was in auto accident when hit by a large vehicle ran a green light i had put me in disability,Both my Spouse and self approaching 60 year old , raising a grandson since he was born now he is a teenager, first took years to obtain ssdi, then now this limit from 89 does not provide enough for our medications and food rent utilities and i dont qualify for any help due to the resource limit for 3 people? i sacrifice my medications the wife needs a dentist i need help paying for teenager with heart condition and has very few issues but he was BETA club but no way we could even pay the fees, although reduced lunch its went from survival mode to a very bad and mental suffering to exist. I would love to have medicare but in Tennessee they deny everything because of this resource limit, i plead to the judge to allow us to keep our TN CARE but then they take money out of my disability, add co-pays , i never imagined i would end up in this situation, Someone must adjust this to a reasonable amount so we can qualify for Medicaid and obtain dual complete to cover RX and maybe get up to $300 per month to get thru ,I had isometric strokes, losing my vision, can not do yardwork, or even go shopping, if not for my grandson i couldn’t get the groceries in the house, or just things i did pre-accident, i worked in healthcare and so did my wife of 41 years but we started in factories,and restuarant work, went back to school in 90s to get better job after children was grown, At time i took out the retirement to obtain custody of my grandson i was 16 years younger and used what retirement funds i had as emergency to keep this almost grown man, The wife has many health issues and combined its a 7 pages of chronic conditions, we need someone to adjust this 1989 amount please ,,,its creating undue hardship and generates more health issues, it not easy living on bread and pickles , we put 99% of grocery money on this Grandson as our daughter and post partum is a scary and very expensive condition, i have blind mode on old PC and only see out of one eye because i cant get what the government keeps taking due to the limit,…yes im still alive and greatful but very depressed and sleep , wake up and my granson does laundry,dishes,etc.. he has missing heart valve and he cant help w yard work, i must pay 180 month because when i moved here i had a riding mower,i even planted a garden, i worked 12 hours and on call 24/7 for many years, worked 7 days a week for well over 42 years, i wish i could see, i wish i could get help, i would love to qualify for some relief, please adjust as its 2025 , i hate going from working out 3x a week ,,walking and doing, i cant even travel 1.5 hours to my 78 year old moms since 2017 because of old 20 year old car and no funds for fuel, i battle to try to make one dollar but someone’s there to take 3 dollars every time i get extra dollar,,scap metal side hustle picking thru garbage the old way of making a dollar is gone as i had helper at one time,,, and old truck dad bought me before he died in 2013 lost a younger sister, i live too far away the remaining family has not seen me in years, due to i just cant get there,,,, haven’t had nothing since disabled sick except ongoing denials and hardships, and cant afford 41 in the vitamins my body is betraying me, i Pray someone will fix this… i cant even make it to the food pantry anymore. When i did i met people like me but they had cancer, lost their spouses, no family, i really thought i would force my body to heal and i am just too tired due to Hashimoto osteo+ 63 conditions now and rising , it don’t have to be a slow extermination of older people that gave their lives and time to make other people’s Lifes better… something is not right. No one cares anymore. It’s not supposed to be like this .
Bill V.
Great idea. I hate being ripped off with Medicare taking money from my SSI. MEDICARE IS AN EXPENSE I CANNOT AFFORD.
Shirlyn H.
How do I apply for disability SSI lm married and I only received least then 600.00 a month.my husband received least then 1400.00 a month please respond Thank you.
T.Y.
Hi, Shirlyn. Thank you for reading our blog. To apply for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), go here. We hope this helps.
Robert G.
Am I eligible for the stimulus check
LeAnn L.
Slip got a 16 dollar raise like ok they could have i can’t survive off of 600 sleeping on the floor. This is crazy
Linda
To better assist you with your complaints text SS hq office on 279-200-6322. They’re available are available 24 hours and respond faster.
C.B.
Hi, Linda. The Social Security Administration does not conduct business or handle complaints through text messages using this number.