Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a federal cash benefit for people with very little income and very few assets who are 65 or older, blind, or disabled. Children with disabilities can qualify too. The Social Security Administration runs it, but despite the name it is not paid from the Social Security trust funds: SSI comes from general tax revenue, and it does not depend on a work history. About 7.3 million people receive it.
How much SSI pays in 2026 and 2027
The maximum federal payment, called the federal benefit rate, rises each January with the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment. The 2027 adjustment, announced on October 14, 2026, is 3.6%.
| Maximum monthly federal payment | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Individual | $994 | $1,029 |
| Couple (both eligible) | $1,491 | $1,544 |
Payments arrive on the first of the month. When the first falls on a weekend or holiday, SSA pays the business day before, which is why the January 2027 payment goes out on December 31, 2026. Many states add a state supplement on top of the federal amount, so the total can be higher where you live.
The maximum is what someone with no other countable income gets. Most recipients get less, because other income reduces the check.
Who qualifies
To get SSI, a person has to meet two kinds of test.
- Who they are. Age 65 or older, legally blind, or disabled under SSA’s definition. For adults, disabled means a medical condition expected to last at least a year or end in death that prevents “substantial gainful activity,” which SSA sets at $1,690 a month in earnings for 2026 and $1,770 for 2027 ($2,830 and $2,950 for people who are blind). Children qualify if a condition causes marked and severe functional limitations.
- What they have. Limited income and countable resources, explained below, plus U.S. residence and citizenship or a qualifying immigration status.
The income rules
SSA does not count every dollar. It ignores the first $20 a month of most income, and for wages it ignores another $65 plus half of the rest. Unearned income, such as a Social Security retirement check or a pension, reduces SSI roughly dollar for dollar after the first $20. Earnings reduce it by about 50 cents on the dollar, which is meant to make work pay.
A worked example: a person who earns $600 a month from a job has $600 − $20 − $65 = $515, half of which ($257.50) counts. In 2027 that person’s SSI would be about $1,029 − $257.50 = $771.50, for total monthly income of about $1,371.
Help with rent or a free place to live, called in-kind support and maintenance, can also reduce the payment. Since September 30, 2024, SSA no longer counts food someone gives you as income.
The asset limit
Countable resources must stay at or below $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple. Those limits have not changed since 1989, so they buy far less than they once did. Several things are not counted:
- the home you live in and the land it sits on;
- one vehicle used for transportation;
- household goods and personal effects;
- burial funds up to $1,500 and burial plots;
- up to $100,000 in an ABLE account, a tax-advantaged savings account for people whose disability began young.
Going over the limit at the start of a month makes a person ineligible for that month, which is why recipients often watch their bank balance closely.
SSI vs. SSDI
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) uses the same medical definition of disability, but it is a different program.
| SSI | SSDI | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Needs-based assistance | Insurance earned through work |
| Paid from | General tax revenue | Social Security payroll taxes |
| Work history needed | No | Yes, enough recent work credits |
| Asset limit | $2,000 / $3,000 | None |
| Amount | Flat maximum, reduced by other income | Based on your past earnings |
| Health coverage | Medicaid in most states, often automatically | Medicare after 24 months of benefits |
| Waiting period | None after approval | Five full months after disability begins |
Some people get both. If an SSDI check is small, SSI can top it up to the federal benefit rate, minus the $20 exclusion.
Children and SSI
A child under 18 can qualify on the basis of disability. Because a child does not usually have income of their own, SSA counts part of the parents’ income and resources, a process called deeming. At 18 the child is re-evaluated under the adult rules, and parental income no longer counts.
How to apply
You can start an application online at ssa.gov, by calling SSA at 1-800-772-1213, or at a local Social Security office. Disability claims need medical records and a list of doctors and treatments. Initial decisions on disability often take several months, and many claims are denied at first and approved on appeal, so it is worth asking for reconsideration if you are turned down. Payments can be backdated to the month after you applied, so applying early matters.
SSI recipients often qualify for other help too. Read how SNAP works, and check a household’s income with the SNAP income check.