[Excerpted from the 2000 "Green Book" of the House Ways and Means Committee.
The full table of contents of the SSI section is below, for the entire section
in pdf click here.]
SECTION 3. SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME (SSI)
CONTENTS
Background
Trends
Basic Eligibility
Categorical Requirements
Citizenship and Residency Requirements
Prohibition of Payment to Felons and Fugitives
Income and Resource Requirements
Presumptive SSI Eligibility for Persons with AIDS and HIV
Public Institution Requirement
Application to Other Programs Requirement
Eligibility for Social Security
Eligibility for Medicaid
Eligibility for Food Stamps
Self-Sufficiency and SSI
SSI Benefits
Federal SSI Benefit Standard
Benefits for Persons Living in the Household of Another
Benefits for Persons Living in a Medicaid Institution
Benefits of Former Recipients of State Assistance
Overpayments
Faster Initial SSI (and Social Security) Payments
State Supplementation
Maximum SSI and Food Stamp Benefits for Individuals Living
Independently
Comparison of SSI Payment Levels to Poverty Thresholds
Trends in the SSI Caseload
Number of Recipients
Characteristics of Adult Disabled and Blind Recipients
Characteristics of Recipients Receiving Benefits on the Basis
of Age
Characteristics of Children Receiving Benefits
Overview of Caseload Developments
Eligibility of Drug Addicts and Alcoholics
Eligibility of Noncitizens for SSI
Eligibility of the Homeless
Special SSI Provisions for the Working Disabled
Earned Income Disregards
Eliminating Work Disincentives
Special Benefits for Certain World War II Veterans
Measures of SSI Participation and Growth
SSI Participation Rates
Changes in Number of Recipients, 1970-99
SSI Program Costs
Legislative History
104th Congress
105th Congress
106th Congress
References
BACKGROUND
The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Program is a means-
tested, federally administered, income assistance program
authorized by title XVI of the Social Security Act. Established
in 1972 (Public Law 92-603) and begun in 1974, SSI provides
monthly cash payments in accordance with uniform, nationwide
eligibility requirements to needy aged, blind and disabled
persons.
The SSI Program replaced the Federal-State Programs of Old-
Age Assistance and Aid to the Blind established by the original
Social Security Act of 1935 as well as the Program of Aid to
the Permanently and Totally Disabled established by the Social
Security Amendments of 1950. Under the former programs, Federal
matching funds were offered to the States to enable them to
give cash relief, ``as far as practicable'' in each State, to
eligible persons whom the States deemed needy. The States set
benefit levels and administered these programs. The Federal-
State adult assistance programs continue to operate in Guam,
Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Under the Covenant to
Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,
enacted as Public Law 94-241 on March 24, 1976, the Northern
Mariana Islands became the only U.S. jurisdiction outside the
50 States and the District of Columbia authorized to operate an
SSI Program.
The Congress intended the new SSI Program to be more than
just a Federal version of the former State adult assistance
programs which it replaced. In describing the new program, the
report of the Committee on Finance stated: ``The Committee bill
would make a major departure from the traditional concept of
public assistance as it now applies to the aged, the blind and
the disabled. Building on the present Social Security Program,
it would create a new Federal program administered by the
Social Security Administration (SSA), designed to provide a
positive assurance that the Nation's aged, blind, and disabled
people would no longer have to subsist on below poverty-level
incomes'' (U.S. Senate, 1972, p. 384).
The SSI Program was envisioned as a basic national income
maintenance system for the aged, blind, and disabled which
would differ from the State programs it replaced in a number of
ways. It would be administered by SSA in a manner as comparable
as possible to the way in which benefits were administered
under the Social Security Program. While it was understood that
modifications would be necessary to make SSA's systems work for
the new program, SSI was seen as an add-on rather than a new
system. SSA had a longstanding reputation for dealing with the
public on a fair and humane basis, but with scrupulous regard
for the requirements of law. Thus, it was expected that both
recipients and taxpayers would be pleased with the outcome.
Under the former adult assistance programs the amount of
assistance could vary from person to person according to an
evaluation of the individual's needs. The SSI Program, by
contrast, represented a ``flat grant'' approach in which there
would be a uniform Federal income support level.
In contrast to the former State programs with their
provisions for liens against property and relative support
requirements, the SSI Program was intended to have minimal
barriers to eligibility other than a lack of income. Even here,
the new SSI Program incorporated more generous provisions for
disregarding income--particularly earned income--than was
provided under the Old-Age Assistance Program. The report of
the House Committee on Ways and Means stated that the SSI
Program was designed to provide incentives and opportunities
for those able to work or to be rehabilitated that would enable
them to escape dependency (U.S. House, 1971, p. 147).
For the most part, the nature of the SSI Program is
expressed by its title. It was conceived as a guaranteed
minimum income for the aged, blind, and disabled which would
supplement the Social Security Program and act as an income-
related program to provide for those who were not covered or
minimally covered under Social Security or who had earned only
a minimal entitlement under the program.
It should be noted that even though SSA administers the SSI
Program, SSI is not the same as Social Security. The SSI
Program is funded by general revenues of the U.S. Treasury--
personal income taxes, corporation taxes, and other taxes.
Social Security benefits are funded by the Social Security
taxes paid by workers, employers, and self-employed persons.
The programs also differ in other ways such as the conditions
of eligibility and the method of determining payments. In
addition, States have the option of supplementing the basic
Federal SSI payment. In some cases, State supplementary
payments are administered by the State instead of SSA.
TRENDS
Table 3-1 summarizes the trends in the SSI Program since
its inception in 1974:
1. The number of recipients on SSI has risen from nearly 4
million in 1974 to nearly 6.6 million in December 1999.
The number of SSI recipients declined early in the
program as the number of aged individuals on SSI
declined, but that trend reversed in the mideighties as
rapid growth in disabled recipients outstripped the
minimal change in the elderly and blind SSI
populations. However, since 1996, there has been a
slight decrease in the total number of SSI recipients.
2. Total annual benefits paid under the SSI Program rose from
about $5.2 billion in 1974 to $31.3 billion in 1999.
3. The monthly Federal benefit rates for individuals and
couples rose from $140 and $210 in 1974 to $512 and
$769 in 2000 (2000 figures are not in table),
respectively. Nearly all of these changes resulted from
the statutory indexation of the Federal benefit rates
to the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
TABLE 3-1.--SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME SUMMARY, SELECTED YEARS 1974-99
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Year
Item -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1974 1978 1980 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 1999
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recipients: \1 Aged.................................................. 2,285,909 1,967,900 1,807,776 1,530,289 1,473,428 1,433,420 1,454,041 1,471,022 1,465,905 1,412,632 1,331,782 1,308,062
Blind................................................. 74,616 77,135 78,401 80,524 83,115 82,864 83,686 85,400 84,911 82,137 80,243 79,291
Disabled.............................................. 1,635,539 2,171,890 2,255,840 2,418,522 2,712,641 2,947,585 3,279,400 4,009,767 4,744,470 5,118,949 5,154,044 5,169,281
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total............................................... 3,996,064 4,216,925 4,142,017 4,029,333 4,269,184 4,463,869 4,817,127 5,566,189 6,295,786 6,613,718 6,566,069 6,566,634
=====================================================================================================================================
Number with section 1619(a)............................... NA NA NA 406 (8/84) 992 (1/86) 19,920 \2\ 13,99 17,603 24,315 31,085 37,271 25,528
4
Number with section 1619(b)............................... NA NA NA 6,804 8,106 15,625 23,517 31,649 40,683 51,905 59,542 69,265
Annual payments (in millions):
Federal benefits...................................... $3,833 $4,881 $5,866 $8,281 $9,498 $10,734 $12,894 $18,247 $22,175 $25,265 26,405 26,805
Federally administered State supplementation.......... 1,264 1,491 1,848 1,792 2,243 2,671 3,239 3,435 3,116 2,988 3,003 3,301
State administered State supplementation.............. 149 180 226 299 340 381 466 \3\ 556 579 539 808 \4\ 808
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total............................................... $5,246 $6,552 $7,940 $10,372 $12,081 $13,786 $16,599 $22,238 $25,870 $28,252 30,216 30,914
=====================================================================================================================================
Annual payments (in millions of 1999 dollars)............. $18,630 $16,969 $16,427 $16,682 $18,293 $19,501 $23,821 $26,414 $29,074 $30,824 $30,793 $32,153
Monthly Federal benefits:
Individuals........................................... $140.00 $177.80 $208.20 $314.00 $336.00 $354.00 $386.00 $422.00 $446.00 $470.00 $494.00 $500.00
Couples............................................... 210.00 266.70 357.00 472.00 504.00 532.00 579.00 633.00 687.00 705.00 741.00 751.00
Average Federal SSI payments: \1 All recipients........................................ $95.11 $111.98 $143.35 $196.16 $215.40 $227.49 $261.47 $329.74 $325.26 $339.24 359.45 368.53
Aged individuals...................................... 78.48 91.22 112.45 143.24 151.38 159.36 175.29 195.86 211.55 227.42 271.66 282.37
Aged couples.......................................... 93.02 120.48 157.56 221.98 246.07 273.18 322.82 448.61 505.64 563.39 611.00 642.29
Average federally administered: \1 State supplementation................................. $70.92 $75.00 $99.15 $97.61 $115.41 $122.68 $139.79 $118.08 $101.46 $104.58 102.33 110.92
Percent of recipients with other income: \1 Social Security benefits.............................. 52.7 51.7 51.0 49.6 48.9 47.8 45.9 41.3 39.1 37.0 36.5 36.3
Other unearned income................................. 10.5 11.5 11.0 11.2 12.1 12.4 13.0 14.5 13.1 12.4 11.7 11.7
Earnings.............................................. 2.8 3.1 3.2 3.5 3.9 4.4 4.7 4.4 4.2 4.4 4.5 4.5
Average amount of: \1 Social Security benefits.............................. $130.01 $156.50 $196.94 $250.61 $263.29 $286.49 $318.57 $335.72 $345.20 $382.56 374.60 383.82
Other unearned income................................. 61.10 66.93 74.35 84.56 86.40 85.92 98.13 91.96 101.13 112.46 129.90 128.99
Earnings.............................................. 80.00 99.32 106.95 126.47 142.17 173.09 195.64 207.55 225.01 258.42 282.52 286.62
Poverty thresholds (age 65 and over):
Individual............................................ $2,364 $3,127 $3,949 $4,979 $5,255 $5,674 $6,268 $6,729 $7,108 $7,525 $7,818 $7,990
Couple................................................ 2,982 3,944 4,983 6,282 6,630 7,158 7,905 8,489 8,967 9,491 9,862 10,070
Federal benefit as a percent of poverty:
Individual............................................ 74.1 72.7 72.3 75.6 76.7 74.9 73.9 75.3 75.3 75.0 75.8 75.0
Couple................................................ 88.1 86.4 86.0 90.2 91.2 89.2 87.9 89.5 89.5 89.1 90.2 89.3
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ December data. Includes Federal SSI and federally administered State supplements.
\2\ The decrease in 1619(a) participants in 1990 was caused by the increase in the substantial gainful activity level to $500 monthly.
\3\ Fiscal year 1992 data.
\4\ Estimated.
NA--Not available.
Source: Social Security Administration (1999 and various years) and unpublished data.
4. The proportion of SSI recipients receiving Social Security
benefits declined from nearly 53 percent in 1974 to 36
percent in 1999. The fraction of SSI recipients
receiving some other type of unearned income rose
slightly from about 11 percent in 1974 to nearly 12
percent in 1999, and the fraction with earnings
increased slightly from less than 3 percent in 1974 to
more than 4 percent in December 1999.
5. The Federal benefit rate as a percent of the appropriate
poverty level for individuals has ranged from 72 to 77
percent and was 75 percent in 1999; for couples it has
ranged from 86 to 91 percent and was 89 percent in
1999. Most States supplement the Federal benefit for at
least some participants.
6. The SSI Program pays benefits to children who are blind or
have other disabilities. Some of the increases in
participation since 1991 reflect the revised definition
of disability for children as a result of the Supreme
Court's decision in the Sullivan v. Zebley case. Public
Law 104-193 (enacted August 22, 1996) established a
more restrictive disability definition for children
which is expected to result in a slower rate of growth
in the number of children receiving SSI benefits.
BASIC ELIGIBILITY
Categorical Requirements
To qualify for SSI payments, a person must satisfy the
program criteria for age, blindness or disability. The aged are
defined as persons 65 years and older. The blind are
individuals with 20/200 vision or less with the use of a
correcting lens in the person's better eye, or those with
tunnel vision of 20 degrees or less. Disabled individuals are
those unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by
reason of a medically determined physical or mental impairment
expected to result in death or that has lasted, or can be
expected to last, for a continuous period of at least 12
months. The test of ``substantial gainful activity'' is to earn
$700 monthly in counted income, with impairment-related
expenses subtracted from earnings. Generally, the individual
must be unable to do any kind of work that exists in the
national economy, taking into account age, education, and work
experience.
Children may qualify for SSI if they are under age 18 (or
under age 22 if a full-time student), unmarried, and meet the
applicable SSI disability or blindness, income, and resource
requirements. Public Law 104-193, the Personal Responsibility
and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996,
established a new disability definition for children under age
18 which requires a child to have ``a medically determinable
physical or mental impairment which results in marked and
severe functional limitations, and which can be expected to
result in death or which has lasted or can be expected to last
for a continuous period of not less than 12 months.''
Under pre-1996 law, low-income children could qualify for
SSI benefits in two ways: their disability could match one of
the impairments in the medical ``listing of impairments'' or
they could be evaluated under an individualized functional
assessment disability determination procedure (generally
considered a less stringent process) that determined whether an
unlisted impairment seriously limited a child's ability to
perform activities normal for his age. Both methods were
stipulated in Federal regulations. Until the Supreme Court's
1990 ruling in Sullivan v. Zebley, the medical listings were
the only way to determine a child's eligibility for SSI
benefits. Adults, in contrast, could receive an assessment of
their functional and vocational capacities even if they did not
meet one of the listings. The Court ruled that sole reliance on
the listings did not satisfy the law's requirement to gauge
whether children's disorders were of comparable severity to
impairments that would disable adults.
The 1996 welfare reform law discontinued the individualized
functional assessment and the ``comparable severity'' standard
upon which it was based. Many children on the rolls as a result
of an individualized functional assessment will have their
benefits terminated, and future awards based on individualized
functional assessments will be barred. Thus, the SSI Program
for Children will be restricted to those who have impairments
that meet or equal at least one of the listings. Pursuant to
the 1996 law, the listing of impairments has been changed to
reflect the new disability definition for children.
Citizenship and Residency Requirements
To qualify for SSI a person must be a citizen of the
United States or, if not a citizen, be a refugee or asylee who
has been in the country for less than 7 years, or be a
``qualified alien'' who was receiving SSI as of August 22, 1996
or who was living in the United States on August 22, 1996 and
subsequently became disabled. (For more detailed information on
eligibility requirements for noncitizens, see appendix J.)
In addition to the citizenship requirement, a person must
be a resident of the United States or the Northern Mariana
Islands, or a child of a person in the military stationed
outside the United States, or a student temporarily abroad;
must apply for all other benefits to which she is entitled; and
must, if she is disabled, accept vocational rehabilitation
services if they are offered.
Prohibition of Payment to Felons and Fugitives
The 1996 welfare reform law provides that, as of August 22,
1996, SSI benefits may not be paid to individuals who are
fleeing to avoid prosecution for a felony crime, or fleeing to
avoid custody or confinement after conviction for a felony
crime, or violating a condition of probation or parole imposed
under Federal or State law.
Income and Resource Requirements
Income
Individuals and couples are eligible for SSI if their
incomes fall below the Federal maximum monthly SSI benefit,
currently $512 for an individual and $769 for a couple
(calendar year 2000 standards). If only one member of a couple
qualifies for SSI, part of the ineligible spouse's income is
considered to be that of the eligible spouse (this procedure is
called ``deeming''). If a couple separates, each person is
treated as an individual in the month following the month of
separation. If an unmarried child living at home is under age
18, some of the parent's income is deemed to that child. If an
immigrant is sponsored into the United States, some of the
sponsor's and the sponsor's spouse's income may be deemed to
that immigrant.
Income includes cash, checks, and items received ``in
kind'' such as food and shelter. Wages, net earnings from self-
employment, and income from sheltered workshops are considered
earned income. Social Security benefits, workers' or veterans
compensation annuities, rent, and interest are counted as
unearned income.
An individual does not have to be totally without income to
be eligible for SSI benefits. Maximum SSI benefits are paid,
assuming the other conditions of eligibility are met, if the
individual or couple has no ``countable'' income in that
particular month. If the individual or couple has ``countable''
income, a dollar-for-dollar reduction is made against the
maximum payment. Not all income is counted for SSI purposes.
Since 1972, the major exclusions have included the first $20 of
monthly income from virtually any source (such as Social
Security benefits), and the first $65 of monthly earned income
plus one-half of remaining earnings.
Income received in sheltered workshops and work activity
centers is considered earned income and qualifies for the
earned income exclusion. Table 3-2 shows the maximum income
that an individual and couple can have, taking into account
these income exclusions, and still remain eligible for Federal
SSI benefits.
TABLE 3-2.--MAXIMUM INCOME FOR ELIGIBILITY FOR FEDERAL SSI BENEFITS, 2000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Receiving only Social Receiving only wage
Security income
-----------------------------------------------
Monthly Annually Monthly Annually
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Individual...................................................... $532 $6,384 $1,109 $13,308
Couple.......................................................... 789 9,468 1,623 19,476
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Office of Research, Evaluation and Statistics, Social Security Administration.
Work-related expenses are disregarded (i.e., subtracted
from income) in the case of blind applicants or recipients and
impairment-related work expenses are disregarded in the case of
disabled applicants or recipients.
The SSI Program also does not count income and resources
that are set aside as part of an approved plan for achieving
self-support (PASS). A PASS is an income and resource exclusion
that allows an SSI recipient who is blind or disabled to set
aside income and resources for a work goal. The money set aside
can be used to pay for such items or services as education,
vocational training, or starting a business.
The value of any in-kind assistance is counted as income
unless such in-kind assistance is specifically excluded by
statute. Generally, in-kind assistance provided by or under the
auspices of a federally assisted program, or by a State or
local government (for example, nutrition, food stamps, housing
or social services), will not be counted as income. As
described later, if an SSI applicant or recipient is living in
the household of another and receiving in-kind support and
maintenance from him, the SSI benefit standard for such an
individual is reduced by one-third. By regulation, SSA has also
ruled that the value of any in-kind support and maintenance
received (other than in-kind assistance received by reason of
living in another's household) is presumed to equal one-third
of the Federal SSI benefit standard plus $20. The individual
can rebut this presumption. If it is determined that the actual
value is less than the one-third amount, the lower actual value
will be counted as unearned income.
In-kind support and maintenance provided by a private
nonprofit organization to aged, blind, or disabled individuals
is excluded under the SSI Program if the State determines that
the assistance is provided on the basis of need. Certain types
of assistance provided to help meet home energy needs are also
excluded from income. Assistance provided to an aged, blind, or
disabled individual for the purpose of meeting home energy
costs either in cash or in kind and which is furnished by a
home heating oil or gas supplier or by a utility company is
also excluded. Assistance for home energy costs provided in
kind by a private nonprofit organization is also excluded.
As countable income increases, a recipient's SSI benefit
amount decreases. Ineligibility for SSI occurs when countable
income equals the Federal benefit standard plus the amount of
State supplementation, if any.
Resources
SSI eligibility is restricted to qualified persons who have
resources of not more than $2,000, or $3,000 in the case of a
couple. The resource limit for a couple applies even if only
one member of a couple is eligible. If the couple has been
separated or living independently for over 6 months, each
person is treated as an individual. If an unmarried child
living at home is under age 18, the parent's assets are
considered to be the child's (i.e., deemed to the child).
In determining countable resources, a number of items are
not included, such as the individual's home; and, within
reasonable limits set by SSA: household goods, personal
effects, an automobile, and a burial space for the individual,
spouse, and members of the immediate family. Regulations place
a limit of $2,000 in equity value on excluded household goods
and personal effects and exclude the first $4,500 in current
market value of an auto (100 percent of the auto's value is
excluded if it is used to obtain medical treatment or for
employment or has been modified for use by or transportation of
a handicapped person or is necessary to perform essential daily
activities because of distance, climate or terrain). The value
of property which is used in a person's trade, or business, or
by the person as an employee is also excluded. The value of
certain other property that produces income, goods, or services
essential to a person's self-support may be excluded within
limits set by SSA in regulations. SSI and Social Security
retroactive benefit payments may not be considered as a
resource for a period of 6 months after the month in which the
retroactive benefit is received. Resources set aside under a
PASS are also excluded.
The cash surrender value of life insurance policies if the
total face value of all policies is $1,500 or less are not
counted toward the $2,000 or $3,000 countable resources limit.
The entire cash surrender value of life insurance policies if
the total face value of all policies on an individual's life is
greater than $1,500 counts toward the resources limit, but may
be excludable under one of the other resource provisions.
An individual and spouse may have excluded up to $1,500
each of burial funds. However, the $1,500 maximum amount is
reduced by the face value of any excluded life insurance
policies and the value of any irrevocable burial contracts,
trusts, or arrangements. If left to accumulate, interest earned
on excluded burial funds and burial spaces is not countable as
either income or resources for SSI purposes.
Individuals who give away or sell any nonexcludable
resource for less than fair market value are subject to
penalty. However, such a transfer may make the individual
ineligible for certain Medicaid covered nursing services. SSA
must notify individuals of the penalty and provide information
upon request to the States regarding transfers of resources.
The Deficit Reduction Act of 1984 (Public Law 98-369)
requires the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to furnish SSA with
certain nonwage information about SSI recipients. The IRS
information consists primarily of reports of interest payments
submitted to IRS by financial institutions but also includes
income from dividends, unemployment compensation, and other
sources. In fiscal year 1987, computer matches between IRS tax
files and SSI records resulted in 239,000 matches. Only cases
involving IRS reports of interest income of $51 or more were
examined. The resulting savings to the SSI Program were $64
million. As a result of SSA's evaluation of these cases, the
tolerance level was lowered to $41 beginning with fiscal year
1988 and 398,000 matches were identified. In fiscal year 1989,
there were 508,000 matches. SSA has evaluated and adjusted the
tolerance levels several times over the years. Effective
October 1993, the tolerance level for income from resources--
e.g., interest and dividends--is $60. The tolerance level for
other nonwage income not from resources--e.g., unemployment
compensation and pensions--is $1,000. Also, a special tolerance
was developed for cases that had been matched before; if the
current year's resources are less than $10 more than the prior
year's resource indicators, the IRS report is not examined. All
match information is sent to Social Security offices for
verification of the information. For fiscal year 1999 there
were 76,000 matches.
Based on a study of the 1993 matches, SSA decided to apply
a statistical profiling technique to the IRS matches.
Statistical profiling increases the cost effectiveness of the
IRS process by targeting the more error-prone matches and
eliminating the less productive matches. The resulting savings
to the SSI Program were $45 million.
Prior to the 1984 Deficit Reduction Act, if in any month a
recipient's assets exceeded the asset limit, the individual was
ineligible for benefits in that month and the entire amount of
the benefit paid for that month was considered an overpayment
subject to recovery. Effective October 1, 1984, SSI law
provides that in cases where there is an overpayment based
solely on an excess of assets of $50 or less, the recipient is
deemed to be without fault for purposes of waiving the
overpayment and the overpayment is not recovered unless the
Secretary finds that the failure to accurately and timely
report the excess was knowing and willful on the part of the
recipient.
An individual may receive SSI benefits for a limited time
even though he has certain nonliquid property that, if counted,
would make him ineligible. These benefits are conditioned upon
the disposal of the property, and are subject to recovery as
overpayments when the property is sold. The 1987 Budget
Reconciliation Act provides, in addition, for the exclusion of
real property if it cannot be sold because it is jointly owned
and sale would cause undue hardship to the joint owner due to
loss of housing, because there are legal impediments to its
sale, or because reasonable efforts to sell it have been
unsuccessful.
Deeming of income and resources
The income of an ineligible spouse who lives with an adult
SSI applicant or recipient is considered in determining the
eligibility and amount of payment to the individual. The income
of the parents of a child under the age of 18 who is blind or
disabled is also considered in determining the eligibility and
payment for the child. However, since 1990, children with
disabilities who are eligible for Medicaid at home under State
home care plans, who previously received SSI personal needs
allowances (PNAs) while in medical institutions, and who
otherwise would be ineligible for SSI because of their parents'
income or resources, have been eligible for the $30 monthly PNA
that would be payable if they were institutionalized, without
regard to their parents' income and resources. Effective
October 1, 1993, an ineligible parent or spouse who is absent
from a household due solely to a duty assignment as a member of
the Armed Forces is considered, absent evidence to the
contrary, to be living in the same household as the SSI
applicant or recipient for deeming purposes.
By regulation, the Commissioner of Social Security has
provided that in determining the amount of the income of an
ineligible spouse or parent to be deemed to the SSI applicant
or recipient, the needs of the spouse or parent and other
children in the household are taken into account. In addition,
the SSI earned and unearned income exclusions are applied in
determining the amount of income to be deemed to the SSI
applicant or recipient. If the combined countable income of an
SSI applicant and an ineligible spouse does not exceed the SSI
benefit standard for an eligible couple in that State
(including any federally administered State supplementary
payment), the SSI applicant would be eligible to receive an SSI
and/or State supplementary benefit.
For example, in 2000 in a State with no supplementation,
here is how the deeming procedure would work in the case of an
ineligible spouse earning $600 per month living with an
eligible individual with $200 of Social Security benefits:
Unearned income of eligible individual..................... $200.00
Less $20 exclusion......................................... -20.00
------------
Countable unearned income............................ 180.00
============
Earned income of ineligible individual..................... 600.00
Less $65 earned income disregard........................... -65.00
Less one-half of remaining earnings ($535)................. -267.50
------------
Countable earned income.............................. 267.50
Plus countable unearned income............................. 180.00
------------
Couple's total countable income...................... 447.50
============
SSI payment standard for couples........................... 769.00
Less countable income...................................... -447.50
------------
Benefit payable to eligible individual............... 321.50
============
Thus, the benefit for the eligible individual will be $321
(SSI law requires that benefits be rounded down to the next
lower dollar). Without deeming and as an individual, the
recipient would have received $332 [$512 - ($200 less $20
exclusion)]. The $20 exclusion can only be used once and is
first applied to unearned income, which in this example is the
$200 of Social Security income.
An individual's resources are deemed to include those of
the ineligible spouse (or in the case of a child under the age
of 18, those of the parents) with whom the individual is
living. Under SSI regulations, in determining the amount of the
spouse's or parents' resources that can be deemed, all
applicable exclusions are applied. In the case of a child, only
the value of the parents' resources that exceeds the applicable
limits ($2,000 for a single parent, and $3,000 for two parents)
is deemed to the child. Also, under regulations, pension funds
of an ineligible spouse or parent are excluded from deeming.
In December 1999, there were about 130,500 children's cases
in which deeming reduced benefits. This figure does not take
into account, however, the number of children who were not
eligible because of the deeming provision. (For a discussion of
deeming rules for noncitizens, see appendix J.)
Presumptive SSI Eligibility for Persons with AIDS and HIV
Section 1631(a)(4)(B) of the Social Security Act provides
that the Commissioner of Social Security may pay up to 6 months
of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits to a person
applying for SSI based on disability or blindness prior to the
determination of the individual's disability or blindness if
the individual is presumptively disabled or blind and otherwise
eligible. A finding of presumptive disability or blindness may
be made at the Social Security field offices only for specified
impairment categories because the field office employees
generally are not trained disability adjudicators; however, at
the State agencies where there are disability adjudicators a
finding of presumptive eligibility may be made for any
impairment category.
On February 11, 1985, acquired immune deficiency syndrome
(AIDS), as defined by the Centers for Disease Control, was
added (pursuant to interim Federal regulations) to the
impairment categories, thus allowing field offices to find
presumptive disability for persons claiming they had AIDS.
These regulations were scheduled to expire February 11, 1988,
but were extended until December 31, 1989; and in 1989 they
were extended until December 31, 1991. In December 1991, a new
more liberal regulation was implemented. Under the new
procedures, the Social Security field offices may make a
finding of presumptive disability for any individual with the
human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) whose disease manifestations
are of listing-level severity, rather than only for those who
have been diagnosed with AIDS.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) standards
governing presumptive SSI eligibility for persons with HIV
disease have been challenged in court in at least one State on
the grounds that they discriminate against women. The
contention is that the listing of impairments reflects the
course of HIV disease in men, while women tend to have
different symptoms and are therefore excluded. Others have
argued that the Centers for Disease Control definition and the
somewhat broader SSA listing have failed to keep pace with
changing manifestations of HIV disease.
Public Institution Requirement
Public institutions are prisons, hospitals, nursing homes,
or any institution that is operated or administered by a
governmental unit. The governmental unit could be the Federal,
State, city, or county government, or another political
subdivision of the State. Residents of public institutions for
a full calendar month are ineligible for SSI unless one of the
following exceptions applies:
1. The public institution is a medical treatment facility and
Medicaid pays more than 50 percent of the cost of care.
2. The individual is residing in a publicly operated community
residence which serves no more than 16 residents. Such
a facility must provide an alternative living
arrangement to a large institution and be residential
(i.e., not a correctional, educational or medical
facility).
3. The public institution is a public emergency shelter for
the homeless. Such a facility provides food, a place to
sleep, and some services to homeless individuals on a
temporary basis. Payments to a resident of a public
emergency shelter for the homeless are limited to no
more than 6 months in any 9-month period.
4. The individual is in a public institution primarily to
receive educational or vocational training. To qualify,
the training must be an approved program and must be
designed to prepare an individual for gainful
employment.
5. The individual was eligible for SSI under one of the
special provisions of section 1619 of the Social
Security Act (see section on ``Special SSI Provisions
for the Working Disabled'') in the month preceding the
first full month of residency in a medical or
psychiatric institution which agrees to permit the
individual to retain benefit payments. Payment may be
made for the first full month of institutionalization
and the subsequent month.
6. A physician certifies that the recipient's stay in a
medical facility is likely not to exceed 3 months and
the recipient needs to continue to maintain and provide
for the expenses of the home to which she may return.
Payments may be made for up to the first 3 full months
of institutionalization.
To help institutionalized individuals return to community
living, the SSI Program includes a prerelease procedure for
institutionalized individuals. Some individuals are medically
ready to be released from an institution but are financially
unable to support themselves. The prerelease procedure allows
such individuals to apply for SSI payments and food stamps
several months in advance of their anticipated release so
benefits can commence quickly after release. A formal
prerelease agreement can be developed between an institution
and the local Social Security office. However, an individual
can file an application for SSI under prerelease without the
existence of such an agreement.
Under Federal law, residents of public institutions for a
full calendar month generally are ineligible for SSI benefits.
Prisons are considered public institutions. The bar against SSI
benefits to prisoners has been enforced through an exchange of
computerized data between the Social Security Administration
and the Federal Bureau of Prisons, State prisons, and some
county prisons. According to the SSA's Office of the Inspector
General, these computerized arrangements generally covered
about three-quarters of inmates--all Federal and State
prisoners but only about 15 percent of county prisoners. The
agreements were voluntary and until recently involved no
payments to the institutions. However, the 1996 welfare reform
law (Public Law 104-193), required the Commissioner of Social
Security to enter into a contract with any interested State or
local institution (such as a prison, jail, or mental hospital)
under which the institution must provide to the Commissioner on
a monthly basis the names, Social Security numbers, dates of
birth, and such other identifying information concerning the
inmates or residents of the institution to help the
Commissioner enforce the ``prohibition of payments to residents
of public institutions'' rule. The Commissioner must pay the
institution up to $400 for each resident if the information is
provided to the Commissioner within 30 days after such
individual becomes a resident or up to $200 for each inmate if
the information is provided after 30 days but within 90 days of
the person becoming a resident.
Between March 1, 1997 and August 2, 1999, SSA paid $19.2
million for 53,900 incentive payments.
In 1999, Congress acted to further tighten restrictions on
the payment of Federal benefits to prisoners. Public Law 106-
169, signed into law on December 14, 1999, expands the SSI
Program's benefit suspension rules and incentive payments
regarding State and local prisoners to include individuals
receiving Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI)
benefits. (Payments to prisons will be reduced by 50 percent
for multiple reports on individuals who receive both SSI and
OASDI benefits.)
Public Law 106-169 also requires State prisons to provide
inmate information to Federal and federally assisted benefit
programs, including SSA. To help reduce fraudulent benefit
payments of food stamps, veterans benefits, unemployment
benefits, and educational aid, Public Law 106-169 directs SSA
to share its prisoner database with other Federal agencies and
departments.
APPLICATION TO OTHER PROGRAMS REQUIREMENT
Since SSI payments are reduced by other income, applicants
and recipients must apply for any other money benefits due
them. SSA works with recipients and helps them get any other
benefits for which they are eligible.
Eligibility for Social Security
Since its inception SSI has been viewed as the ``program of
last resort.'' That is, after evaluating all other income, SSI
pays what is necessary to bring an individual to the
statutorily prescribed income ``floor.'' As of December 1999,
36.3 percent of all SSI recipients also received Social
Security benefits (60 percent of the aged, 30 percent of the
disabled, and 35 percent of the blind). Social Security
benefits are the single highest source of income for SSI
recipients. The SSI Program considers Social Security benefits
unearned income and thus counts all but $20 monthly in
determining the SSI benefit amount.
Eligibility for Medicaid
States have three options as to how they treat SSI
recipients in relation to Medicaid eligibility. Section 1634 of
SSI law allows SSA to enter into agreements with States to
cover all SSI recipients with Medicaid eligibility. SSI
recipients are not required to make a separate application for
Medicaid under this arrangement. As of January 1, 2000, 32
States and the District of Columbia chose this option, and SSI
recipients in these States account for approximately 79 percent
of all SSI recipients nationwide.
Under the second option, States elect to provide Medicaid
eligibility for all SSI recipients, but only if the recipient
completes a separate application with the State agency which
administers the Medicaid Program. Alaska, Idaho, Kansas,
Nebraska, Nevada, Oregon, and Utah and the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands, affecting about 5 percent of SSI
recipients nationwide, have elected this option.
The third and most restrictive option is known as the
``209(b)'' option, under which States may impose Medicaid
eligibility criteria which are more restrictive than SSI
criteria, so long as the criteria chosen are not more
restrictive than the State's approved Medicaid State plan in
January 1972. The 209(b) States may be more restrictive in
defining blindness or disability, and/or more restrictive in
their financial requirements for eligibility, and/or require a
Medicaid application with the State. However, aged, blind, and
disabled SSI recipients who are Medicaid applicants must be
allowed to spend down in 209(b) States, regardless of whether
the State has a medically needy program. Currently 11 States
use the 209(b) option for Medicaid coverage of aged, blind, and
disabled SSI recipients. About 16 percent of the SSI recipient
population nationwide lives in these 209(b) States. The 11
States that use this option are Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois,
Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Dakota,
Ohio, Oklahoma, and Virginia.
An amendment included in the 1986 SSI Disability Amendments
(Public Law 99-643) required, effective July 1, 1987, that
209(b) States continue Medicaid coverage for individuals in
section 1619 status if they had been eligible for Medicaid for
the month preceding their becoming eligible under section 1619
(see section below on ``Special SSI Provisions for the Working
Disabled'').
The same legislation required States to provide continued
Medicaid coverage for those individuals who lose eligibility
for SSI on or after July 1, 1987 when their income increases
because they become newly eligible for Social Security benefits
as an adult who was disabled as a child (disabled adult child)
or because of an increase in their benefits as an adult who was
disabled as a child. ``Disabled adult children'' who otherwise
would be eligible for SSI continue to be considered SSI
recipients for Medicaid purposes. Protection against loss of
Medicaid also is provided for certain blind or disabled
individuals who lose their SSI benefits when they qualify for
Social Security disabled widow or widower's benefits beginning
as early as age 50. The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of
1990 provides that such individuals, who otherwise would
continue to qualify for SSI on the basis of blindness or
disability, will be deemed to be SSI recipients for purposes of
Medicaid eligibility until they become eligible for Medicare.
Eligibility for Food Stamps
Except in California, which has converted food stamp
benefits to cash that is included in the State supplementary
payments, SSI recipients may be eligible to receive food
stamps. SSI beneficiaries living alone or in a household where
all other members of the household receive or are applying for
SSI benefits can file for food stamps at an SSA office. If all
household members receive SSI, they do not need to meet the
Food Stamp Program financial eligibility standards to
participate in the program because they are categorically
eligible. However, SSI beneficiaries living in households where
other household members do not receive or are not applying for
SSI benefits are referred to the local food stamp office to
file for food stamps. These households must meet the net income
eligibility standard of the Food Stamp Program to be eligible
for food stamp benefits.
The interaction with the Food Stamp Program has important
financial implications for a State which desires to increase
the income of its SSI recipients by $1. Because food stamps are
reduced by $0.30 for each additional $1 of SSI income including
State supplements, the State must expend $1.43 to obtain an
effective $1 increase in SSI recipients' total income.
* * * *
SSI BENEFITS
Federal SSI Benefit Standard
The Federal SSI benefit standard for 2000 is $512 a month
for an individual and $769 for a couple. As is discussed later,
most States supplement the Federal SSI benefit. The result is a
combined Federal SSI/State supplemental benefit standard
against which countable income is compared in determining
eligibility and benefit amount. However, many States limit
their supplementation to certain categories of individuals
based on specific indicators of need--especially special
housing needs.
Like Social Security benefits, Federal SSI benefits are
indexed to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Indexing occurs
through a reference in the SSI law to the Social Security cost-
of-living adjustment (COLA) provision. Prior to the Social
Security Amendments of 1983 (Public Law 98-21), the SSI and
Social Security cost-of-living increases occurred in benefits
paid in July. Public law 98-21 delayed the Social Security and
SSI COLAs from July 1983 to January 1984. However, in lieu of a
COLA increase in the SSI benefit standard, the Federal SSI
benefit was increased in July 1983 by $20 a month for an
individual and $30 a month for a couple. Table 3-3 shows the
Federal SSI benefit from the beginning of the SSI Program until
the present time.
TABLE 3-3.--FEDERAL SSI BENEFIT LEVELS, 1974-2000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eligibility status
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Own household Household of another
Year Medicaid ------------------------------------------------------------
institution Essential Essential
Single Couple person Single Couple person
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Initial............................... $25.00 $130.00 $195.00 $65.00 $86.67 $130.00 $43.34
Jan. 1974............................. 25.00 140.00 210.00 70.00 93.34 140.00 46.67
July 1974............................. 25.00 146.00 219.00 73.00 97.34 146.00 48.67
July 1975............................. 25.00 157.70 236.60 78.90 105.14 157.74 52.60
July 1976............................. 25.00 167.80 251.80 84.00 111.87 167.87 56.00
July 1977............................. 25.00 177.80 266.70 89.00 118.54 177.80 59.34
July 1978............................. 25.00 189.40 284.10 94.80 126.27 189.40 63.20
July 1979............................. 25.00 208.20 312.30 104.20 138.80 208.20 69.47
July 1980............................. 25.00 238.00 357.00 119.20 158.67 238.00 79.47
July 1981............................. 25.00 264.70 397.00 132.60 176.47 264.67 88.40
July 1982............................. 25.00 284.30 426.40 142.50 189.54 284.27 95.00
July 1983............................. 25.00 304.30 456.40 152.50 202.87 304.27 101.67
Jan. 1984 \1\......................... 25.00 314.00 472.00 157.00 209.34 314.67 104.67
Jan. 1985............................. 25.00 325.00 488.00 163.00 216.67 325.34 108.67
Jan. 1986............................. 25.00 336.00 504.00 168.00 224.00 336.00 112.00
Jan. 1987............................. 25.00 340.00 510.00 170.00 226.67 340.00 113.34
Jan. 1988............................. 25.00 354.00 532.00 177.00 236.00 354.67 118.00
Jan. 1989............................. 30.00 368.00 553.00 184.00 245.34 368.67 122.67
Jan. 1990............................. 30.00 386.00 579.00 193.00 257.34 386.00 128.67
Jan. 1991............................. 30.00 407.00 610.00 204.00 271.34 406.67 136.00
Jan. 1992............................. 30.00 422.00 633.00 211.00 281.34 422.00 140.67
Jan. 1993............................. 30.00 434.00 652.00 217.00 289.34 434.67 144.67
Jan. 1994............................. 30.00 446.00 669.00 223.00 297.34 446.00 148.67
Jan. 1995............................. 30.00 458.00 687.00 229.00 305.34 458.00 152.66
Jan. 1996............................. 30.00 470.00 705.00 235.00 313.34 470.00 152.57
Jan. 1997............................. 30.00 484.00 726.00 242.00 322.67 484.00 161.33
Jan. 1998............................. 30.00 494.00 741.00 247.00 329.34 494.00 164.67
Jan. 1999............................. 30.00 500.00 751.00 250.00 333.34 500.67 166.67
Jan. 2000............................. 30.00 512.00 769.00 256.00 341.34 512.67 170.67
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Cost-of-living adjustments to Federal SSI benefit levels are rounded to the next lower whole dollar
beginning with the increase effective January 1984.
Source: Office of Research, Evaluation and Statistics, Social Security Administration.
In calendar year 1999, about 757,580 applicants were
awarded SSI benefits. Under previous law, new recipients
received a prorated SSI benefit for the month in which they
applied. For example, a person who applied on the 15th of the
month could receive 2 weeks of benefits for that month. (The
typical applicant did not get that money immediately because
SSA might take several months to process the application.) The
1996 welfare reform law changes the effective date of an SSI
application to the later of the first day of the month
following the date the application is filed or the date the
individual first becomes eligible for SSI benefits.
Benefits for Persons Living in the Household of Another
SSI law provides that if an applicant or recipient is
``living in another person's household and receiving support
and maintenance in kind from such person,'' the Federal SSI
benefit applicable to such individual or couple is two-thirds
of the regular Federal SSI benefit. As shown in table 3-3, the
Federal SSI benefit in 2000 for those determined to be living
in the household of another is $341 for an individual and $513
for a couple.
Regulations specify the criteria for determining when this
reduced benefit applies. It does not apply to an individual who
owns or rents, buys food separately, eats meals out rather than
eating with the household, or pays a pro rata share of the
household's food and shelter expenses.
In December 1999 4.1 percent, or about 268,800 SSI
recipients, had their benefits determined on the basis of this
``one-third reduction'' benefit standard. Sixty-five percent of
those recipients were receiving benefits on the basis of
disability (see table 3-4).
TABLE 3-4.--PERCENTAGE AND NUMBER OF PERSONS RECEIVING FEDERALLY ADMINISTERED PAYMENTS, BY LIVING ARRANGEMENT
AND CATEGORY, DECEMBER 1999
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reason for eligibility
Living arrangement \1\ Total ----------------------------------
Aged Blind Disabled
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Own household..................................................... 93.7 91.0 92.3 94.4
Another's household............................................... 4.1 7.0 5.1 3.4
Institutional care covered by Medicaid............................ 2.2 2.0 2.6 2.2
---------------------------------------------
Total percent................................................. 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
=============================================
Total number.................................................. 6,556,634 1,308,062 \2\ 79,29 \3\ 5,169,2
1 81
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ As defined for determination of Federal SSI payment standards.
\2\ Includes approximately 19,200 persons aged 65 or older.
\3\ Includes approximately 690,400 persons aged 65 or older.
Source: Social Security Administration, Office of Research, Evaluation and Statistics, Division of SSI
Statistics and Analysis.
Benefits for Persons Living in a Medicaid Institution
When individuals enter a hospital or other medical
institution in which more than half of the bill is paid by the
Medicaid Program, their monthly SSI benefit standard is reduced
to $30, beginning with the first full calendar month of
residence. This benefit, called a personal needs allowance
(PNA), is intended to take care of small personal expenses,
with the cost of maintenance and medical care being provided
through Medicaid. The 1996 welfare reform law requires that
children (under age 18) residing in medical institutions who
have private medical insurance be eligible only for the $30 SSI
PNA, just like those with Medicaid coverage. The Federal PNA
benefit of $25 was increased to $30 a month on July 1, 1988--
the first increase since the SSI Program began in 1974. The
annual cost-of-living increase for SSI does not apply to the
PNA. However, the 1987 Budget Reconciliation Act provides that
if a physician certifies that the recipient's stay in such a
medical institution is not likely to exceed 3 months and they
need to continue to maintain a home to which they may return,
SSI benefits will not be reduced and recipients will continue
to receive full SSI benefits for up to the first 3 months of
institutionalization.
Approximately 142,813 or 2.2 percent of SSI recipients
received benefits as of December 1999 on the basis of this
personal needs allowance. The average benefit was $21.80. For
those individuals whose income from non-SSI sources exceeds the
$30 benefit standard (including those who were receiving both
Social Security and SSI before entering an institution),
Medicaid regulations require States to allow SSI recipients
(and other non-SSI Medicaid eligibles) to retain no less than
$30 a month of their income as a ``personal needs allowance''
when their income is applied, along with Medicaid
reimbursement, to pay for their institutional medical care.
These regulations are applicable to individuals whose income
from non-SSI sources exceeds the $30 benefit standard
(including those who were receiving both Social Security and
SSI before entering an institution).
Eighteen State programs have exercised their option to
supplement the PNA. Prior to the 1985 Budget Reconciliation
Act, SSI regulations would not allow for Federal administration
of State PNA supplements. An amendment included in that
legislation now requires SSA, at the request of a State, to
administer such State supplementary payments. As of December
1999, California, the District of Columbia, Massachusetts,
Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont had
opted for Federal administration. Approximately 30 States allow
some or all of those individuals affected by the Medicaid PNA
regulations to retain more than $30 a month.
* * * *
Faster Initial SSI (and Social Security) Payments
Making initial payments faster for those who are
presumptively or proven eligible is a goal of the Supplemental
Security Income (SSI) Program. The provisions for a one-time
emergency advance payment continues to permit a faster response
to presumptive or proven eligibility in new claims with
critical needs. Pursuant to the 1996 welfare reform
legislation, these emergency advance payments must be repaid
through proportionate reductions in SSI benefits over a period
of not more than 6 months. In fiscal year 1999, Social Security
offices made 6,510 emergency advance payments using their
third-party drafts in these new claims situations totaling
$3,137,417 with an average payment amount of $474.
Beginning in October 1985, local Social Security offices
were given the authority to make ``immediate payments'' for
Social Security and SSI cases at management's discretion when
the local offices found that benefits were due but unpaid and
an expedited Treasury payment would be too slow. ``Immediate''
usually means while the beneficiary waits or the next day at
the latest. Payments are made using third-party drafts issued
by the local field office. Payments are limited to the maximum
per beneficiary of $400 or the amount due, whichever is less,
once in a 30-day period. The payment must be approved by office
management. During fiscal year 1999, 61,563 Social Security and
71,778 SSI immediate payments were issued under this procedure.
The total amount of these payments equalled $49,269,896 for an
average of $369 per payment.
State Supplementation
* * * *
Optional State supplementation
In addition to any mandatory supplementation States must
provide, a State (or political subdivision) may choose to
provide an optional supplement to Federal SSI payments. This
optional supplement also is intended to help individuals meet
needs which are not fully met by the Federal payment. The State
determines whether it will make such a payment, to whom, and in
what amount. States have the option of covering recipients of
mandatory supplementation under their program of optional
supplementation.
At the present time, all but seven States and jurisdictions
provide some form of optional State supplementation. States
that provide no supplement are: Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas,
Mississippi, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,
Tennessee, and West Virginia. States (or local jurisdictions)
may elect to administer their supplementary payments themselves
or may contract with SSA for Federal administration. Fifteen
States and the District of Columbia have contracted with SSA to
administer the State optional supplementation program. Since
the SSI Program began in 1974, seven States have shifted from
Federal to State administration of their optional State
supplementation program.
Section 1618 of the Social Security Act requires States
that have chosen to supplement the Federal SSI benefit to
continue to provide supplementation and to maintain the
supplementary payments (or spending for supplements) at
specified levels. The purpose of section 1618 is to require
States to pass along to SSI recipients the amount of any
Federal benefit increase. Some States had not done this before
the enactment of section 1618 on October 21, 1976 (Public Law
94-585). Instead, when Congress enacted cost-of-living
increases in the Federal SSI benefit amount, some States would
reduce the levels of the State supplementary payments by the
amount of the Federal benefit increase. Congress responded by
enacting the section 1618 pass-along/maintenance-of-effort
provision for State supplementary payments.
Section 1618 allows States to comply with the pass along
requirement by either (1) maintaining their State supplementary
payment levels for specified types of living arrangements at or
above March 1983 levels (sometimes referred to as the payment
level method) or (2) maintaining their supplementary payment
spending so that total annual Federal and State expenditures
will be at least equal to what they were in the prior 12-month
period plus any Federal cost-of-living increase, provided the
State was in compliance for that period (sometimes referred to
as the total expenditures method). In effect, section 1618
requires that once a State elects to provide supplementary
payments, it must continue to do so.
Under section 1618, a State that is found to be out of
compliance under the maintenance-of-effort rules is subject to
loss of its Federal Medicaid reimbursement. In California's
case, a further ``penalty'' would be levied for failure to meet
the pass along/maintenance-of-effort mandate. It would lose
permission to ``cash out'' food stamp benefits for SSI
recipients, and regular food stamp allotments would have to be
offered to them.
Variation in payment amount
In addition to categorical variations which may apply
(i.e., aged, blind, disabled), a State may elect a number of
variations in optional supplementary payments to account for
specific differences in living costs to a recipient. The type
and amount of the variations selected must be specified in the
Federal-State agreement. A State may make variations in its
payments to account for both geographic and living arrangement
cost differences.
A significant number of the aged, disabled, and blind
receiving SSI cannot live alone because of mental or physical
limitations and have a need for housing which includes services
beyond room and board. These services often include supervision
for daily living and protective services for the mentally
retarded, chronically mentally ill, or the frail or confused
elderly. Such nonmedical supervised and/or group living
arrangements generally cost more than the Federal SSI benefit
needs standard of $512 a month in 2000, and often more than the
combined Federal and SSI State supplementation for those
classified as living independently. Thus, all but 10 of the 50
States and the District of Columbia have Federal- or State-
administered State supplementation which is specifically
directed at covering the additional cost of providing housing
in a protective, supervised, or group living arrangement.
These living arrangements are identified by a variety of
terms including: adult foster care homes; domiciliary care
homes; congregate care; group homes for the mentally retarded,
and other terms. The amount of supplementation by the State
also varies a great deal. For example, in the State of Maryland
under a State-administered supplementation program, a
``specialized and intensive supervision'' group living facility
has a State supplementation of $666 a month in addition to the
Federal benefit of $512. Thus the maximum total Federal and
State SSI payment in a month in Maryland is $1,178. In one
State, the State supplementation is less than $2 a month for
those who need little supervision and care. However, in some
States the cost of supervised group living care is also
partially met by direct State funding of the staff. Some States
make payments for nonmedical group care directly to private
residential facilities based on a rate negotiated by the State
with each facility. In such cases, there is often a PNA payment
made directly to or on behalf of the residents of the facility.
* * * *
State SSI supplement levels over time
Throughout the period from July 1975 to January 2000, 23
States have continuously provided supplemental SSI payments to
aged individuals living independently.
During the period from July 1975 to January 2000, no State
increased supplements faster than inflation for aged
individuals living independently or aged couples living
independently (see tables 3-5 and 3-6).
As of December 1999, there were 2,441,482 beneficiaries (37
percent) receiving a State supplement. For those SSI
recipients, other than those receiving a State supplement
because they are living in some type of group living
arrangement, the amount of State supplement ranges from $1.70 a
month to $362 a month for an individual. At present, 25 States
supplement the Federal standard for individuals living
independently.
TABLE 3-5.--STATE SSI SUPPLEMENTS FOR AGED INDIVIDUALS WITHOUT COUNTABLE INCOME LIVING INDEPENDENTLY, SELECTED YEARS 1975-99
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Percent
State July July Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. change 1975-
1975 1980 1985 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1997 1998 1999 99 \1--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alaska \2\................................................. $142 $235 $261 $305 $331 $362 $362 $362 $362 $362 $362 -20
California................................................. 101 182 179 221 244 223 157 156 156 156 176 -45
Colorado................................................... 27 55 58 58 54 56 56 56 62 39 36 -58
Connecticut \3\............................................ NA 102 141 403 366 325 301 \3\ N 243 253 247 NA
A
District of Columbia....................................... 0 15 15 15 15 15 15 5 0 0 0 NA
Hawaii..................................................... 17 15 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 -91
Idaho...................................................... 63 74 78 73 73 70 45 37 48 48 48 -76
Illinois \3\............................................... NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 0 0 NA
Maine...................................................... 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 -69
Massachusetts.............................................. 111 137 129 129 129 129 129 126 126 129 129 -64
Michigan................................................... 12 24 27 30 30 14 14 14 14 14 14 -64
Minnesota \4\.............................................. 31 34 35 35 75 81 81 81 81 81 81 -18
Nebraska................................................... 67 75 69 43 38 30 21 12 8 8 27 -87
Nevada..................................................... 55 47 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 -79
New Hampshire.............................................. 12 46 27 27 27 27 27 27 27 27 27 -30
New Jersey................................................. 24 23 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 -59
New York................................................... 61 63 61 72 86 86 86 86 86 86 87 -55
Oklahoma................................................... 27 79 60 64 64 64 57 54 53 53 53 -39
Oregon..................................................... 17 12 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 -97
Pennsylvania............................................... 20 32 32 32 32 32 32 27 27 27 27 -57
Rhode Island............................................... 31 42 54 58 64 67 64 64 64 64 64 -35
South Dakota............................................... 0 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 NA
Utah....................................................... 0 10 10 9 6 5 1 0 0 0 0 NA
Vermont.................................................... 29 41 53 59 63 65 55 47 55 55 55 -41
Washington \5\............................................. 36 43 38 28 28 28 28 25 28 7 27 -77
Wisconsin.................................................. 70 100 100 103 103 93 85 84 84 84 84 -63
Wyoming.................................................... 0 20 20 20 20 20 10 10 10 10 10 NA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Median................................................... 31 43 36 36 37 32 31 31 36 31.25 31.25 -68
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The percentage change in constant dollars was computed by inflating July 1975 to January 1999 by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers
(CPI-U). The July 1975 index value is 51.8 and the January 1999 value is 165.5.
\2\ Through 1982 the State supplement was less if shelter costs were below $35 monthly.
\3\ State decides benefit on a case-by-case basis.
\4\ State has two geographic payment levels--Hennepin County and the remainder of Minnesota. Level shown is for Hennepin County, the area with the
largest number of SSI recipients.
\5\ State has two geographic payment levels--highest levels are shown in table. Sum paid in King, Pierce, Kitsap, Snohomish, and Thurston Counties.
NA--Not available.
Source: Office of Supplemental Security Income, Social Security Administration and Congressional Research Service calculations.
TABLE 3-6.--STATE SSI SUPPLEMENTS FOR AGED COUPLES WITHOUT COUNTABLE INCOME LIVING INDEPENDENTLY, SELECTED YEARS 1975-99
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Percent
State July July Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. change 1975-
1975 1980 1985 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1997 1998 1999 99 \1--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama...................................................... $9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -100
Alaska \2\................................................... 43 $338 $371 $444 $484 $528 $528 $528 $528 $528 $528 -10
California................................................... 251 389 448 534 588 557 440 396 396 415 450 -44
Colorado..................................................... 133 229 278 292 309 323 323 323 346 345 321 -23
Connecticut \3\.............................................. NA NA 86 602 525 461 425 \3\ N 368 353 343 NA
A
District of Columbia......................................... 0 30 30 30 30 30 30 15 0 0 0 -100
Hawaii....................................................... 28 24 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 8.8 8.8 -94
Idaho........................................................ 49 80 46 44 45 45 21 9 16 17 17 NA
Illinois \3\................................................. NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 0 0 -100
Maine........................................................ 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 -97
Massachusetts................................................ 173 214 202 202 202 202 202 197 197 202 202 251
Michigan..................................................... 18 36 40 45 45 21 21 28 28 28 28 -77
Minnesota \4\................................................ 38 44 66 66 88 129 126 111 111 111 111 -48
Nebraska..................................................... 67 114 100 66 65 48 40 14 3 98 13 -96
Nevada....................................................... 106 90 74 74 74 74 74 74 74 74 74 NA
New Hampshire................................................ 0 42 21 21 21 21 21 22 21 21 21 -49
New Jersey................................................... 13 12 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 -90
New York..................................................... 76 79 76 93 102 103 102 103 103 103 104 -40
Oklahoma..................................................... 54 158 120 128 128 128 114 108 106 106 106 95
Oregon....................................................... 17 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -100
Pennsylvania................................................. 30 49 49 49 49 49 49 44 44 44 44 -77
Rhode Island................................................. 59 79 102 111 120 127 120 121 121 121 121 NA
South Dakota................................................. 0 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 NA
Utah......................................................... 0 20 20 18 12 11 5 5 5 5 5 NA
Vermont...................................................... 61 76 96 106 115 118 103 92 103 103 103 -47
Washington \5\............................................... 40 44 37 22 22 22 22 20 22 0 21 -84
Wisconsin.................................................... 105 161 161 166 166 146 134 132 132 132 132 -61
Wyoming...................................................... 0 40 40 40 40 40 19 25 25 25 25 NA
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Median..................................................... 57 63 66 66 65 49 39 28 44 43.7 28 -78
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The percentage change in constant dollars was computed by inflating July 1975 to January 1999 by the CPI-U price index. The July 1975 index value is
51.8 and the January 1999 value is 165.5.
\2\ Through 1982 the State supplement was less if shelter costs were below $35 monthly.
\3\ State decides benefit on a case-by-case basis.
\4\ State has various geographic payment levels. Level shown is for Hennepin County, the area with the largest number of SSI recipients. State
supplemental SSI payment for individual whose entitlement began January 1, 1994. State supplement for individuals whose entitlement began before
January 1, 1994 is an additional $15 per month.
\5\ State has two geographic payment levels--highest levels are shown in table. Sum paid in King, Pierce, Kitsap, Snohomish, and Thurston Counties.
NA--Not available.
Source: Office of Supplemental Security Income, Social Security Administration and Congressional Research Service calculations.
Maximum SSI and Food Stamp Benefits For Individuals Living
Independently
Table 3-7 for individuals and table 3-8 for couples
illustrate by State the maximum potential payment from Federal
SSI, State supplements, and food stamps for persons with no
income. Approximately 65 percent of SSI households in the Food
Stamp Program claim a shelter deduction for shelter expenses
exceeding roughly one-third of their monthly income. About 3
percent of SSI households claim a medical cost deduction for
out-of-pocket expenses over $35 per month.
TABLE 3-7.--MAXIMUM POTENTIAL SSI AND FOOD STAMP BENEFITS FOR AGED INDIVIDUALS LIVING INDEPENDENTLY, JANUARY
2000 \1----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Combined benefits
State Maximum SSI Food stamp -------------------
benefit benefit \2\ Monthly Annual
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama.......................................................... $512 $89 $600 $7,200
Alaska........................................................... 874 120 993 11,916
Arizona \3\...................................................... 512 89 600 7,200
Arkansas......................................................... 512 89 600 7,200
California....................................................... 692 \4\ 0 726 8,712
Colorado......................................................... 548 78 625 7,500
Connecticut...................................................... 747 18 \5\ 765 9,180
Delaware......................................................... 512 89 600 7,200
District of Columbia............................................. 512 89 600 7,200
Florida.......................................................... 512 89 600 7,200
Georgia.......................................................... 512 89 600 7,200
Hawaii........................................................... 517 159 676 8,112
Idaho............................................................ \6\ 565 73 637 7,644
Illinois......................................................... \7\ 512 89 600 7,200
Indiana.......................................................... 512 89 600 7,200
Iowa............................................................. 534 82 616 7,392
Kansas........................................................... 512 89 600 7,200
Kentucky......................................................... 512 89 600 7,200
Louisiana........................................................ 512 89 600 7,200
Maine............................................................ 522 86 607 7,284
Maryland......................................................... 512 89 600 7,200
Massachusetts.................................................... 641 50 690 8,280
Michigan......................................................... 526 84 610 7,320
Minnesota........................................................ \8\ 593 64 657 7,884
Mississippi...................................................... 512 89 600 7,200
Missouri......................................................... 512 89 600 7,200
Montana.......................................................... 512 89 600 7,200
Nebraska......................................................... 519 87 605 7,260
Nevada........................................................... 548 78 626 7,512
New Hampshire.................................................... 539 81 619 7,428
New Jersey....................................................... 543 79 622 7,464
New Mexico....................................................... 512 89 600 7,200
New York......................................................... 599 63 661 7,932
North Carolina................................................... 512 89 600 7,200
North Dakota..................................................... 512 89 600 7,200
Ohio............................................................. 512 89 600 7,200
Oklahoma......................................................... 565 73 637 7,644
Oregon........................................................... 514 88 601 7,212
Pennsylvania..................................................... 539 80 619 7,428
Rhode Island..................................................... 576 69 645 7,740
South Carolina................................................... 512 89 600 7,200
South Dakota \3\................................................. 527 84 611 7,332
Tennessee........................................................ 512 89 600 7,200
Texas............................................................ 512 89 600 7,200
Utah............................................................. 512 89 600 7,200
Vermont.......................................................... \9\ 570 71 640 7,680
Virginia......................................................... 512 89 600 7,200
Washington....................................................... \10\ 539 81 619 7,428
West Virginia.................................................... 512 89 600 7,200
Wisconsin........................................................ 596 63 659 7,908
Wyoming.......................................................... 522 86 607 7,284
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ In most States these maximums apply also to blind or disabled SSI recipients who are living in their own
households; but some States provide different benefit schedules for each category.
\2\ For one-person households, maximum food stamp benefits from October 1999 through September 2000 are $127 in
the 48 contiguous States and the District of Columbia, $158 in Alaska, and $199 in Hawaii.
For the 48 contiguous States and the District of Columbia, the calculation of benefits assumes: (1) a
``standard'' deduction of $134 per month; (2) an excess deduction of $250 per month (the 1998 average
deduction based on all claimed values for elderly individuals living alone). For Alaska and Hawaii, higher
deduction levels were used, as provided by law ($663 and $546, respectively, for combined standard and excess
shelter allowance).
\3\ January 2000 State supplemental payments unavailable. Calculations based on January 1999 payment rates.
\4\ SSI recipients in California are ineligible for food stamps. California provides increased cash aid in lieu
of stamps.
\5\ Individual budget process.
\6\ State disregards $20 of SSI payment in determining the State supplementary payment.
\7\ State decides benefits on case-by-case basis.
\8\ Payment level for Hennepin County. State has two geographic payment levels--one for Hennepin County and the
other for the remainder of the State.
\9\ State has two geographic payment levels--highest are shown in table.
\10\ Sum paid in King, Pierce, Kitsap, Snohomish, and Thurston Counties.
Source: Table prepared by the Congressional Research Service based on data from the Social Security
Administration.
Comparison of SSI Payment Levels to Poverty Thresholds
Table 3-9 compares the Federal SSI benefit for a single
individual to the Bureau of the Census poverty threshold. Both
the poverty threshold and the benefit level are indexed to the
Consumer Price Index. (The percentage increase for the poverty
threshold and the SSI benefit increase varies slightly because
of a difference in the method of calculation.) As a result of
Public Law 98-21, SSI benefit levels were increased by $20 per
month for individuals and $30 per month for couples in July
1983. They were further increased by 3.5 percent in January
1984. This explains why SSI benefits, in relation to the
poverty level, increased to approximately 75 percent in 1984
and 1985 compared to 71 percent in the 1975 to 1982 period. In
1999, benefit levels were 76.8 percent of the poverty level.
TABLE 3-8.--MAXIMUM POTENTIAL SSI AND FOOD STAMP BENEFITS FOR AGED COUPLES LIVING INDEPENDENTLY, JANUARY 2000
\1----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Combined benefits
State Maximum SSI Food stamp -------------------
benefit benefit \2\ Monthly Annual
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama.......................................................... $769 $126 $894 $10,728
Alaska........................................................... 1,297 23 1,320 15,840
Arizona \3\...................................................... 769 126 894 10,728
Arkansas......................................................... 769 126 894 10,728
California....................................................... 1,229 \4\ 0 1,216 14,592
Colorado......................................................... 1,096 28 1,123 13,476
Connecticut...................................................... \5\ 1,094 28 1,122 13,464
Delaware......................................................... 769 126 894 10,728
District of Columbia............................................. 769 126 894 10,728
Florida.......................................................... 769 126 894 10,728
Georgia.......................................................... 769 126 894 10,728
Hawaii........................................................... 778 254 1,031 12,372
Idaho............................................................ \6\ 788 120 908 10,896
Illinois......................................................... \7\ 769 126 894 10,728
Indiana.......................................................... 769 126 894 10,728
Iowa............................................................. 813 113 925 11,100
Kansas........................................................... 769 126 894 10,728
Kentucky......................................................... 769 126 894 10,728
Louisiana........................................................ 769 126 894 10,728
Maine............................................................ 784 121 905 10,860
Maryland......................................................... 769 126 894 10,728
Massachusetts.................................................... 971 65 1,035 12,420
Michigan......................................................... 797 117 914 10,968
Minnesota \8\.................................................... \9\ 880 92 972 11,664
Mississippi...................................................... 769 126 894 10,728
Missouri......................................................... 769 126 894 10,728
Montana.......................................................... 769 126 894 10,728
Nebraska......................................................... 769 126 894 10,728
Nevada........................................................... 843 103 946 11,352
New Hampshire.................................................... 790 119 909 10,908
New Jersey....................................................... 794 118 912 10,944
New Mexico....................................................... 769 126 894 10,728
New York......................................................... 873 95 967 11,604
North Carolina................................................... 769 126 894 10,728
North Dakota..................................................... 769 126 894 10,728
Ohio............................................................. 769 126 894 10,728
Oklahoma......................................................... 875 94 968 11,616
Oregon........................................................... 769 126 894 10,728
Pennsylvania..................................................... 813 113 925 11,100
Rhode Island..................................................... 890 90 979 11,748
South Carolina................................................... 769 126 894 10,728
South Dakota \3\................................................. 784 121 905 10,860
Tennessee........................................................ 769 126 894 10,728
Texas............................................................ 769 126 894 10,728
Utah............................................................. 774 124 897 10,764
Vermont.......................................................... \10\ 877 93 970 11,640
Virginia......................................................... 769 126 894 10,728
Washington....................................................... \11\ 790 120 909 10,908
Wisconsin........................................................ 769 126 894 10,728
Wyoming.......................................................... 644 163 807 9,684
West Virginia.................................................... 794 118 912 10,944
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ In most States these maximums apply also to blind or disabled SSI recipients who are living in their own
households; but some States provide different benefit schedules for each category.
\2\ For two-person households, maximum food stamp benefits from October 1999 through September 2000 are $234 in
the 48 contiguous States and the District of Columbia, $290 in Alaska, and $365 in Hawaii.
For the 48 contiguous States and the District of Columbia, the calculation of benefits assumes: (1) a
``standard'' deduction of $134 per month, (2) an excess deduction of $274 per month (the 1998 average
deduction based on all claimed values for elderly individuals not living alone). For Alaska and Hawaii, higher
deduction levels were used, as provided by law ($663 and $546, respectively, for combined standard and excess
shelter allowance).
\3\ January 2000 State supplemental payments unavailable. Calculations based on January 1999 payment rates.
\4\ SSI recipients in California are ineligible for food stamps. California provides increased cash aid in lieu
of stamps.
\5\ Individual budget process.
\6\ State disregards $20 monthly of SSI income in determining the State supplementary payment amounts.
\7\ State decides benefits on case-by-case basis.
\8\ State supplemental SSI payment for individual whose entitlement began January 1, 1994. State supplement for
individuals whose entitlement began before January 1, 1994 is an additional $15 per month.
\9\ Payment level for Hennepin County. State has two geographic payment levels--one for Hennepin County and one
for the remainder of the State.
\10\ State has two geographic payment levels--highest levels are shown in table.
\11\ Sum paid in King, Pierce, Kitsap, Snohomish, and Thurston Counties.
Source: Table prepared by the Congressional Research Service based on data from the Social Security
Administration.
Table 3-10 presents the same information for a couple. The
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefit for a couple is 91.6
percent of the poverty threshold in 1999.
TRENDS IN THE SSI CASELOAD
Number of Recipients
As shown in table 3-11, in December 1999, nearly 6.6
million persons received federally administered SSI payments.
Of these, 1.3 million received federally administered payments
on the basis of being aged, 5.2 million on the basis of being
disabled, and 79,000 on the basis of blindness. However,
709,600 of those receiving benefits on the basis of disability
or blindness were over the age of 65. Table 3-11 also indicates
that approximately 4.1 million of those receiving federally
administered SSI payments received only Federal SSI payments,
2.2 million received a combination of Federal and State
payments, and 282,000 received State supplements only.
TABLE 3-9.--COMPARISON OF COMBINED BENEFITS TO POVERTY THRESHOLDS FOR ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS RECEIVING SSI; SSI AND SOCIAL SECURITY; AND SSI, SOCIAL
SECURITY, AND FOOD STAMPS, SELECTED YEARS 1975-99
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Calendar year
Poverty threshold and benefits --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1975 1980 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 1999
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Poverty threshold.................................... $2,572 $3,941 $4,980 $5,255 $5,672 $6,268 $6,729 $7,107 $7,309 $7,818 $7,990
Federal SSI benefits:
Dollars per year................................. $1,822 $2,677 $3,768 $4,032 $4,248 $4,632 $5,064 $5,352 $5,640 $5,928 $6,000
Percent of poverty............................... 70.8 72.3 75.6 76.7 74.9 73.9 75.3 75.3 77.2 75.8 75.0
Federal SSI and Social Security:
Dollars per year................................. $2,062 $2,917 $4,008 $4,272 $4,488 $4,872 $5,304 $5,592 $5,880 $6,168 $6,240
Percent of poverty............................... 80.2 74.0 80.5 81.3 79.1 77.7 78.8 78.7 80.4 78.8 78.0
Federal SSI, Social Security, and food stamps: \1 Dollars per year................................. $2,350 $3,345 $4,294 $4,488 $4,848 $5,318 $5,820 $6,072 $6,372 $6,672 $6,792
Percent of poverty............................... 91.4 84.9 86.2 85.4 85.5 84.8 86.5 85.4 87.2 85.3 85.0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ In computing the food stamp benefit for 1975, average deductions among all elderly households are assumed. For later years (except 1996), the
applicable standard deduction plus average among all elderly households is assumed. For 1999 the food stamp benefit calculation is based on the 1998
average elderly individual deduction, the most current available. For 1996 the applicable standard deduction plus average shelter and medical
deductions among all SSI households is assumed.
Source: Congressional Research Service.
TABLE 3-10.--COMPARISON OF COMBINED BENEFITS TO POVERTY THRESHOLDS FOR ELIGIBLE COUPLES RECEIVING SSI; SSI AND SOCIAL SECURITY; AND SSI, SOCIAL
SECURITY, AND FOOD STAMPS, SELECTED YEARS 1975-99
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Calendar year
Poverty threshold and benefits ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1975 1980 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 1999
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Poverty threshold.................................. $3,232 $4,954 $6,280 $6,628 $7,156 $7,906 $8,489 $8,964 $9,221 $9,862 $10,070
Federal SSI benefits:
Dollars per year............................... $2,734 $4,016 $5,664 $6,048 $6,384 $6,948 $7,596 $8,028 $8,460 $8,892 $9,000
Percent of poverty............................. 84.6 81.1 90.2 91.2 89.2 87.9 89.5 89.6 91.7 90.1 89.3
Federal SSI and Social Security:
Dollars per year............................... $2,974 $4,256 $5,904 $6,288 $6,624 $7,188 $7,836 $8,268 $8,700 $9,132 $9,240
Percent of poverty............................. 92.0 86.0 94.0 94.9 92.6 90.9 92.3 92.2 94.3 92.5 91.7
Federal SSI, Social Security, and food stamps: \1 Dollars per year............................... $3,430 $4,906 $6,393 $6,696 $7,200 $7,935 $8,700 $9,084 $9,540 $10,056 $10,260
Percent of poverty............................. 106.1 99.0 101.8 101.0 100.6 100.4 102.5 101.3 103.5 101.9 101.8
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ In computing the food stamp benefit for 1975, average deductions among all elderly households are assumed. For later years (except 1996), the
applicable standard deduction plus average shelter and medical deductions among all elderly households is assumed. For 1999, the food stamp benefit
calculation is based on the 1998 average elderly couple deduction, the most current available. For 1996 the applicable standard deduction plus average
shelter and medical deductions among all SSI households is assumed.
Source: Congressional Research Service.
TABLE 3-11.--NUMBER OF PERSONS RECEIVING FEDERALLY ADMINISTERED PAYMENTS, TOTAL AMOUNT AND AVERAGE MONTHLY
AMOUNT, BY SOURCE OF PAYMENT AND CATEGORY, DECEMBER 1999
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source of payment Total Aged Blind \1\ Disabled \1----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of persons
-----------------------------------------------
Federally administered payments................................. 6,556,634 1,308,062 79,291 5,169,281
Federal payment only........................................ 4,115,152 687,801 43,173 3,384,178
Both Federal and State supplementation...................... 2,159,555 515,255 30,406 1,613,894
State supplementation only.................................. 281,927 105,006 5,712 171,209
-----------------------------------------------
Total Federal payment..................................... 6,274,707 1,203,056 73,579 4,998,072
Total State supplementation............................... 2,441,482 620,261 36,118 1,785,103
-----------------------------------------------
Amount of payments [in thousands] \2
-----------------------------------------------
Federal payments................................................ $2,290,591 $304,775 $26,347 $1,959,469
State supplementation........................................... 283,428 79,579 6,246 197,603
-----------------------------------------------
Total..................................................... 2,574,019 384,135 32,593 2,157,072
-----------------------------------------------
Average monthly amount
-----------------------------------------------
Federal payments................................................ 341.86 249.36 350.72 364.24
State supplementation........................................... 110.92 125.90 167.64 104.52
-----------------------------------------------
Total..................................................... 368.53 289.19 401.99 388.29
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Blind includes approximately 19,200 and disabled 690,400 persons aged 65 and older.
\2\ Includes retroactive payments.
Source: Social Security Administration, Office of Research, Evaluation and Statistics, Division of SSI
Statistics and Analysis.
Table 3-12 shows the trends in the numbers of persons
receiving federally administered SSI payments from December
1975 through December 1999, both by reason for eligibility and
by age categories. There was a steady decline in the number of
SSI recipients from 1975 until 1983. However, in the last 16
years the number of SSI recipients has increased from about 3.9
million to about 6.6 million, an increase of 69 percent.
* * * *