You were injured and now live with a disability. You already receive Social Security Disability (SSD), but your financial situation isn’t as good as you’d like. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) may be the answer.
Not everyone qualifies for SSI. Those who do can expect benefits paid by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The benefits are intended to help boost your income.
Who is eligible?
Those eligible for SSI include those who are aged 65 or older. Those who are disabled and have limited resources or income also qualify. Suffering from blindness as recognized by the Social Security Administration (SSA) is also enough to qualify you for Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
Does spousal income matter when applying?
There are income and resource limits that you must meet in order to qualify for SSI. Additionally, if you get married or your income changes, it may change how much you may receive or stop your ability to collect SSI.
Interestingly, if you do not remarry before the age of 60, you can qualify for SSI as a widow or widower. If you are disabled, you must not remarry before the age of 50 to qualify for SSI. Typically, benefits end if you remarry and have been collecting SSI based on your previous spouse’s income or disability.
What you should also keep in mind is that benefits for children under 18 or for students age 18 or 19 will end if you marry. For some people, this is a good reason to avoid remarrying until reaching a qualifying age, but it’s worth talking about your financial situation with a legal professional to decide if marriage is a better choice for you at that point.
Source: APP.com, “Who is eligible for Supplemental Security Income?,” accessed July 05, 2017
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