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Social Security changes expand access to SSI – Herb Weiss
Social Security changes helps people receiving/applying for SSI – Herb Weiss
By Herb Weiss, contributing writer on aging issues
Last week, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced good news for Supplemental Security recipients. The federal agency published a final rule on April 19, 2024, to – “Expand the Definition of a Public Assistance Household.” The regulation announces one of several updates to Supplemental Security Income (SSI) regulations that will help people receiving and applying for SSI.
SSA continuously examines programmatic policy and makes regulatory and sub-regulatory changes as appropriate. SSI is a means-tested program providing monthly payments to adults and children with a disability or blindness, and to adults aged 65 and older. These benefits help pay for basic needs like rent, food, clothing, and medicine. People applying for and receiving SSI must meet eligibility requirements, including income and resource limits.
According to SSA’s Office of the Chief Actuary, once this rule is implemented and the effects have stabilized, in fiscal year 2033 its estimated that roughly 277,000 federal SSI recipients (4 percent of all SSI recipients) will have an increase in monthly payments compared to current rules, and an additional 109,000 individuals (1% increase) will receive Federal SSI payments who would not have been eligible under current rules. As of December, 2022, there were approximately 30,500 people in Rhode Island receiving SSI benefits.
SSA expands access to SSI program
Under SSA’s final rule (20 CFR Part 416), beginning September 30, 2024, the agency will expand the definition of a public assistance household to include households receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments and households where not all members receive public assistance. The expanded definition will allow more people to qualify for SSI, and increase some SSI recipients’ payment amounts. It also reduces reporting burdens for individuals living in public assistance households.
The SSA revised rule also changes the definition of a public assistance household when determining who in a household receives public assistance. The new rule defines a public assistance household as one that has both an SSI applicant or recipient, and at least one other household member who receives one or more of the listed means-tested public income-maintenance (PIM) payments (the any other definition).
The previous policy required all household members to receive public assistance. This change benefits SSI recipients living in households where only some members receive public assistance.
“I’m committed to making systemic changes to help people access the critical benefits they need, including SSI,” said Martin O’Malley, Commissioner of Social Security, in a May 9, 2024 statement announcing the release of the final rule. “By simplifying our policies and including an additional program geared towards low-income families, such as [those receiving] SNAP, we are removing significant barriers to accessing SSI. These changes promote greater equity in our programs.”
SNAP is the first PIM benefit added to the agency’s public assistance household definition since it was established in 1980. This change helps ensure the agency’s policies better represent the current landscape of means-tested programs in the United States, according to SSA.
These changes are key because if an applicant or recipient is determined to be living in a public assistance household, the agency assumes they are not receiving assistance from other household members that would otherwise be counted as income. This will allow more people to qualify for SSI and in some cases, receive a higher SSI payment.
Thumbs Up from aging network
“I commend the Biden administration for this needed expansion of the SSI program. It is a recognition that those in the greatest economic need in our nation need help. By expanding the definition of a public assistance household, it will not only allow more people to qualify for SSI but can also increase some existing SSI recipient’s payment amounts,” says Robert B. Blancato, Executive Director of the Washington, DC-based National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Program, noting that programs such as SSI and SNAP are safety net programs for those who are truly [in need].
“It is disingenuous to lose qualification for one safety net program because of being eligible for another. The role of the federal government is to assist those most in need while minimizing bureaucratic red tape. This final rule shows a level of compassion we need to see more of in federal policy,” adds Blancato.
According to Maria Freese, Senior Legislative Representative at the Washington, DC-based National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, this new rule will take an important step toward simplifying some of the most complicated and burdensome rules governing the SSI program. SSI’s in-kind support and maintenance (ISM) rules reduce benefits dollar-for-dollar for the value of support from family or friends, such as a place to sleep, or help with groceries, up to one-third of benefits. SSI is the only federal program to reduce benefits in this manner. “While fewer than 1 in 10 SSI beneficiaries receive ISM, the current ISM rules make the program more complicated for nearly every SSI beneficiary. SSA is required to ask detailed, personal, and complicated questions concerning living arrangements, other household members and budgeting, not only once but repeatedly as family circumstances change,” she says.
Freese added: “Groups living together who qualify as ‘public assistance households’ are exempt from these reporting requirements, but the previous definition, which required that every member of the household receive public assistance, limited the ability of low-income beneficiaries to take advantage of the exemption. The new rule requires only one SSI beneficiary and one additional member of the household be a recipient of public assistance, and expands the qualifying programs to include the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps).”
“This new rule will lessen hardship for struggling, low-income families, simplify the administration of the SSI program and lower costs and staff time for the Social Security Administration, which has been chronically underfunded. It represents good public policy, and reflects well on an agency working hard to provide the benefits working families deserve,” notes Freese.
According to Nancy Altman, President and CEO of the Washington, DC-based Social Security Works, this rule is an important step towards improving the Supplemental Security Income program (“SSI”). “Currently, SSI forces the most disadvantaged Americans to jump through numerous time-consuming, complicated, and burdensome hoops simply to get below-poverty level benefits. Simplifying the numerous burdensome requirements will not only ease the lives of those whom government is intended to serve, it will also reduce administrative costs,” she says.
“Ultimately, Congress needs to act to improve SSI, as well as adequately fund the SSA so it can hire and train enough staff to properly administer the program. In the absence of action from Congress, the Biden administration is doing what it can on its own, including this and other rule changes, says Altman.
Altman suggests that if Congress and the Social Security Administration truly want to save administrative costs and provide more accurate and timely payment amounts, more rules like these should be adopted and the laws governing SSI should be updated and simplified.”
With Social Security’s long-term purchasing power dwindling and heightening financial uncertainty for recipients, the League supports updating the definition of public assistance for beneficiaries receiving SSI, says Shannon Benton, Executive Director of the Alexandria, Virginia-based Senior Citizens League. “’The increased inability of seniors to make ends meet remains a pressing concern of The Senior Citizens League, and it should also be a pressing concern of Congress,” she says.
Adds Associate Director Kathleen Holt, of the Mansfield Center, Connecticut-based Mansfield Center, Connecticut-based Center for Medicare Advocacy, “The expanded definition of ‘public assistance household’ is a thoughtful, focused way to ensure the dignity and needs of individuals in a residence are upheld.”
For more information on the SSI program, including who is eligible and how to apply, visit https://www.ssa.gov/ssi.
To read the final rule “Expand the Definition of a Public Assistance Household,” visit https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/04/19/2024-08364/expand-the-definition-of-a-public-assistance-household.
For further details about the final rule, contact Tamara Levingston, Office of Income Security Programs, 6401 Security Blvd., Robert M. Ball Building, Suite 2512B, Woodlawn, MD 21235, 410-966-7384.
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Herb Weiss, LRI -12, is a Pawtucket-based writer who has covered aging, health care and medical issues for over 43 years. To purchase his books, Taking Charge: Collected Stories on Aging Boldly and a sequel, compiling weekly published articles, go to herbweiss.com.
Hello and thanks for the in-depth article – yes, the SSA administers these stated programs as mentioned with ‘retirees’ and a payroll subsidy (that should be increased across the board) to further endow such a fund …. as for SSI – unfortunately around the early 1970’s, when many ‘welfare’ programs were being revised, the government aligned this program that is actually for sick , poor elderly and disabled folks as such a criteria … current some revisions are being made for Food Supplements (SNAP) and household occupants, but overall the annual adjustment for the so-call ‘assets test’ has been locked in the 1980’s with a $2,000 cut-off … anything over that such a person will be PEANALIZED and go through a hoops of explanation to be returned to the roll… there is a bill (one of several since the Obama Adm.) SSI PENALTY ELIMINATION ACT would provide a bit more leeway and financial freedom to such poor and disabled folks that could use a relief …. let’s hope (and encourage) both the President & Congress to do the proper, moral thing – Thanks ‘peace’
Reading comments on other sites via News, too many don’t understand how this works.
The Social Security benefit received by retirees is money that workers and their employers paid into every month of their working years via FICA.
The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is administered by the Social Security Administration BUT it is a government- funded source of income.
They are two entirely different animals. Some news sites put this out every month and get people riled up. They will say that there will be 2 SSI payments in the month. It’s misleading. SSI is paid on the 1st of the month.
A Social Security check is based on your day of birth. For example, if you were born between the 1 and the 10th of a month, you receive your S.S. Benefit on the 2nd Wednesday of the month.
In either case, should a holiday or weekend fall on these dates, they will be paid the day before.
Just my opinion but perhaps it’s time to change the name of one of these. Too many think that SSI is Social Security and it’s not.
So, which is it social security go broke or there is plenty of money, so we are expanding it
Tony – Please read my above statement. I looked this up months ago since I found it confusing.
SSI is Supplemental Security Income. It’s funded by the government and has nothing to do with the monies in Social Security that we paid into.
Both are handled by the Social Security Adminstration as far as the disbursement of funds.
SSI is for those who had no or low paying wages. Because of the COLA increase, many of these people were dropped from other programs such as EBT, Medicaid, etc. The increase sent them over the income limits for these programs. What is being suggested in the article is an expansion of the SSI guidelines so they can retain the benefits they receive.
I believe there is a lot of fraud among people receiving SSI. My neighbor collected for many years due to a “back injury” yet he would and still does wait until late at night to ride his bicycle all over downtown Newport. Needs better management. No wonder entire SS program is headed to insolvency less than 10 years according to their own experts.
Sorry that I’m late to reply. It sounds like your neighbor is collecting Social Security Disability. He may be collecting Supplemental Income (not a Social Security program) if his SSDI is below the threshold to live i.e. EBT, Medicaid, etc.
If he is on SSDI, when he turns 62, it will change over to regular Social Security. The term Disability gets dropped and I believe his money remains the same.
In order to collect S.S. Disability, he needs letters/testimony from physicians, physical therapists, etc. He also had to see a doctor appointed by Social Security.
Again, Supplemental (SSI) is not Social Security and is funded by the government. It doesn’t use our Social Security that we paid into.