Supplemental Security Income is a needs-based program known for placing strict limits on the income, and resources an individual can have in order to qualify for monthly benefits. Eligible only to those 65 or older, blind or with a qualifying disability, SSI income and resource limits exist as criteria separate from already-existing income limits that the Social Security Administration places for an applicant to be considered “disabled.”
To understand your eligibility for Supplemental Security Income, it is vital to understand limits placed on income, limits placed on resources, and what actually counts as a “countable resource” when it comes to making these calculations.
What Is The Difference Between “Limited Income” and “Limited Resources”?
The Social Security Administration treats income and resources as two separate categories that determine potential SSI eligibility. The SSA defines income as any item an individual receives in cash or in-kind that can be used to meet the need for food and shelter. Income for SSI purposes can include wages, self-employment earnings, other Social Security benefits, pensions, unemployment, free shelter, and a portion of income earned by your live-in spouse, parent or immigration-related sponsor.
The SSA defines a resource as something you own that you can use or convert into cash in order to pay for food and shelter. Resources can include cash, bank accounts, stocks, bonds and land you own. However, not all resources are counted when determining if you qualify for SSI monthly benefits.
What is the Resource Limit for Supplemental Security Income?
To qualify for Supplemental Security Income, your countable resources must not exceed $2,000 if you are an individual, or $3,000 if you are applying as a couple.
This SSI resource limit is separate from SSA’s rules about income and work activity. For disability-based SSI or Social Security Disability Insurance, SSA also considers whether your condition prevents you from performing substantial gainful activity, which generally means work that earns more than a monthly amount set by SSA each year.
What is a “Countable Resource” for SSI purposes?
Countable resources, or things you own that count toward the SSI resource limit, can include:
- Cash
- Bank accounts
- Stocks and mutual funds
- U.S. savings bonds
- Digital currencies or virtual tokens (i.e. Bitcoin or NFTs)
- Land
- Life insurance
- Personal property
- Vehicles
- Deemed resources (if living with a spouse, family member or immigration sponsor)
- Anything else you own that can be converted to pay for food and shelter
If you are an SSI recipient and your countable resources in a given month exceed the allowable limit for SSI, you may not receive SSI benefits for that month. You may be able to receive SSI again after selling the excess resources.
What Is NOT A “Countable Resource” for SSI?
Some property, accounts, payments, and personal belongings do not count toward SSI’s resource limit. These exclusions help protect basic necessities, disability-related savings tools, certain work-related property, and limited funds set aside for specific purposes. Common examples include:
- Your home and the land it is on
- One vehicle used by you or another household member for transportation
Household goods, such as furniture and appliances - Personal property that you wear, carry, or consider culturally or religiously significant, such as jewelry, pets, hobby materials, or ceremonial attire
- Burial plots or spaces for you or immediate family members
- Burial funds up to $1,500 each for you and your spouse
- Life insurance policies with a combined face value of $1,500 or less
- Certain forms of support, maintenance assistance, and home energy assistance
- Disaster relief assistance not counted as income
- Property you or your spouse use for a trade or business, or generally use on the job
- Money or property set aside by individuals who are blind or have a qualifying disability under a Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS)
- Up to $100,000 of funds in an Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) account established through a State ABLE program
- Certain trusts, such as “special needs trusts” or “pooled trusts”
- Dedicated accounts for children who are blind or have qualifying disabilities
- Grants, scholarships, fellowships, or gifts set aside for educational purposes
- Money in an Individual Development Account (IDA)
- Health flexible spending arrangements (FSAs)
- The first $2,000 received per year for participation in certain clinical trials
Other payments are excluded only for a limited time after you receive them. This means the money may not count against your SSI resource limit right away, but any amount you still have after the exclusion period ends may become a countable resource. These temporary exclusions include:
- Cash for medical or social services that SSA did not count as income — excluded for 1 month
- Retroactive SSI or Social Security benefits, including installment payments — excluded for up to 9 months after receipt
- State or local relocation assistance payments — excluded for 9 months
- Crime victim’s assistance — excluded for 9 months
- Cash received to replace an excluded resource, such as a home or certain personal property, that was lost, damaged, or stolen — excluded for 9 months
- Earned Income Tax Credit payments — excluded for 12 months
- Federal tax refunds and advance tax credits received on or after January 1, 2010 — excluded for 12 months
Have questions about Supplemental Security Income? Contact National Disability Alliance
If you are applying for Supplemental Security Income and are not sure if you qualify due to income or resource limits, contact our advocates at National Disability Alliance. Our representatives are experienced in handling complex claims for Social Security benefits for people with disabilities.
We can assist you with your SSI claim, whether you are starting your initial application or are appealing a denial of disability benefits. Contact our disability advocates at 833-693-4722.
