Supplemental Security Income, explained in plain English
Supplemental Security Income — SSI — is the federal program that pays a monthly benefit to people with very limited income and resources who are aged 65 or older, blind, or disabled. It is run by the Social Security Administration (SSA), the same agency that runs Social Security retirement and disability insurance. But SSI is a different program with different rules: it does not depend on your work history, and it does not pay based on what you earned in the past.
About 7.5 million Americans receive SSI (an approximate figure from secondary reporting of SSA data). This site explains, step by step, who can qualify, how much SSI pays in 2026, how the income and resource tests work, and how to apply — with the math shown, so you can follow every calculation.
- SSI is needs-based: it looks at your income and resources now, not your work credits.
- The 2026 federal maximum is $994 a month for an individual and $1,491 for an eligible couple.
- Most states add a supplement on top of the federal payment — amounts vary by state.
- SSI is not the same as SSDI or retirement benefits. If you worked and paid Social Security taxes, you may qualify for those instead — or for both.
Start here: the five questions everyone asks
Do I qualify? You must fit one category (65 or older, blind, or disabled), have limited income, have limited resources, and meet the residence and citizenship rules. Our SSI explained guide walks through all four tests.
How much will I get? Start from the 2026 federal benefit rate, then subtract your countable income. The maximum rates guide gives the figures, and the income test guide works two full examples.
Can I work? Yes — SSI has work incentives, including a student exclusion and a plan that lets you save for a work goal. See working while on SSI.
What if my situation changes? You must report changes, and SSA reviews your case regularly. Redeterminations and overpayments explains the deadlines and your appeal rights.
A note on the figures in these guides
SSI payment rates change every January with the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). Every rates page on this site states the year its figures apply to and tells you to check the current figure with SSA before acting. Resource limits, by contrast, have not changed in decades — they are $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple, and they are the same in every state.
These guides are general information only. They are not personal financial or legal advice, and they do not replace SSA's own rules or a decision from SSA about your case. Where a rule is complicated or varies by state, the guide says so and points you to SSA.
All ten guides
- SSI explained — what SSI is, who it serves, and how it differs from SSDI and retirement benefits
- Maximum rates 2026 — the federal benefit rate, state supplements, and payment dates
- The income test — countable income, the $20 and $65 exclusions, worked examples
- Resource limits — the $2,000/$3,000 limits, what counts, what does not, ABLE accounts
- Living arrangements — living in someone else's household, in-kind support, the one-third reduction
- Couples and deeming — the couple rate, the marriage gap, and when a spouse's income counts
- SSI for children — childhood disability, parent-to-child deeming, and students
- Working while on SSI — student exclusion, PASS plans, Ticket to Work, Medicaid while working
- How to apply — routes, documents, timing, and representative payees
- Redeterminations and overpayments — reporting changes, reviews, the 10% rule, and appeals
Sources to check: SSA, Understanding Supplemental Security Income (ssa.gov/ssi); SSA Red Book, What's New in 2026 (ssa.gov/redbook/newfor2026.htm).