The Social Security Administration has issued a final rule that will prevent food assistance from reducing payments to certain beneficiaries. The change applies to Supplemental Security Income (SSI), which provides monthly checks to adults and children who are disabled, blind, or age 65 and older and have little or no income or resources. Approximately 7.4 million Americans receive support either exclusively from SSI or in combination with Social Security. Under the new rule, food will no longer count toward calculations for eligibility for benefits, known as In-Kind Support and Maintenance (ISM). Currently, support in the form of food, shelter, or both may count as unearned income for SSI beneficiaries, affecting their payments or eligibility for benefits.
The monthly maximum federal SSI amounts in 2024 are $943 for individuals, $1,415 for couples, and $472 for essential persons, who live with an SSI beneficiary and provide care. To qualify for SSI, beneficiaries generally earn less than $1,971 per month from work and have less than $2,000 in resources per individual or $3,000 per couple. This includes money, assets that can be turned into cash, such as bank accounts, bonds, property, and stocks. The new rule means SSI beneficiaries will no longer have to worry that groceries or meals they receive from family or friends may reduce their monthly benefits, providing relief as high inflation continues to prompt higher food and grocery bills for all Americans.
The change represents a meaningful step to address a complex, burdensome, and inhumane policy impacting people with disabilities receiving SSI, according to Darcy Milburn, director of Social Security and health care policy at The Arc, a nonprofit organization serving individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities. The new rule eliminates the need for the Social Security Administration to document every time a beneficiary received free food and then cut their monthly benefit by as much as a third. This is the first of several updates planned for SSI beneficiaries and applicants by the Social Security Administration, aiming to simplify policies, reduce burdens, and promote equity by removing barriers to accessing payments.
Thomas Foley, executive director at the National Disability Institute, notes that people on SSI are one of the most food-insecure groups in the United States. The new rule may also lead to fewer overpayments or underpayments of benefits, increasing financial security for beneficiaries. A bipartisan bill may provide broader changes to SSI, raising asset limits for beneficiaries to $10,000 for individuals and $20,000 for married couples, up from $2,000 and $3,000 respectively. This change aims to address the impact of restrictions on asset limits, allowing individuals to save and build a better financial future. Bank CEOs, including JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, have voiced support for updating SSI’s rules, acknowledging the challenges beneficiaries face due to current asset limits.
Overall, the new rule preventing food assistance from reducing payments to certain SSI beneficiaries marks a positive step in addressing challenges faced by individuals with disabilities. The change eliminates a burdensome policy that impacted beneficiaries’ monthly benefits and reduces the need for documentation by the Social Security Administration. As higher food and grocery bills continue to affect Americans, the new rule provides much-needed relief and may lead to increased financial security for beneficiaries. Further changes planned by the administration, along with potential bipartisan legislative efforts, aim to address broader challenges faced by SSI beneficiaries and promote financial stability and equity.
