What is SSI? Supplemental Security Income is a monthly payment from the Social Security Administration for people who are 65 or older, blind, or disabled — and who have very little income and very few resources. It is not the same as Social Security retirement or disability insurance, and you do not need a work history to qualify.
In 2027, the maximum federal SSI payment is $1,029 a month for an individual and $1,544 for a couple. An essential person — someone who lives with an SSI recipient and provides care — can add $516 a month. Those figures come from the Social Security Administration, announced October 14, 2026, after a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment. They are maximums, not promises: most people receive less, because the agency subtracts countable income from the federal amount.
Who qualifies for SSI?
Three things have to be true. First, you must be 65 or older, blind, or disabled. Second, your income must be limited. Third, your countable resources must be at or under $2,000 for one person or $3,000 for a couple — limits that have not changed since 1989.
Citizenship matters too. SSI is generally for US citizens and certain lawfully present noncitizens who meet strict conditions. You must also live in one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, or the Northern Mariana Islands. People who live abroad for a full calendar month, or who are in prison for a full month, generally cannot receive SSI for that month.
Children can qualify as well. A child under 18 with a disability that severely limits daily activities may receive SSI if the family’s income and resources are low enough. The student earned-income exclusion lets young people in school keep more of what they earn — up to $2,500 a month or $10,080 a year in 2027 — without losing benefits.
How much SSI pays — and how the math works
Your SSI payment starts with the federal benefit rate and goes down from there. The agency subtracts your countable income. Some income does not count: the first $20 of most income each month, and for earnings, the first $65 plus half of what remains.
Here is a simple example. Say you earn $400 a month from a part-time job and have no other income. The first $65 is excluded, and half of the remaining $335 — $167.50 — counts. Your SSI payment would be $1,029 minus $167.50, or $861.50 a month. Work more, and the payment shrinks; work less, and it grows back toward the maximum.
Most states add their own supplement on top of the federal payment, so the amount that lands in your account can be higher than $1,029 depending on where you live. A few states have no supplement. Check your state’s figure before budgeting around the federal number alone.
The resource test: $2,000 and $3,000
Countable resources are the things you own that the agency can count: cash, bank accounts, stocks and bonds, a second vehicle, and property beyond the home you live in. The limits are $2,000 for one person and $3,000 for a couple, and they have been frozen at those levels since 1989.
What does not count matters just as much. The home you live in and the land it sits on are excluded, as is one vehicle, household goods, personal effects, and burial plots worth up to $1,500. That is why the resource test trips up more people than the income test: a modest savings account built up over years can push you over $2,000 even when your monthly income is tiny.
SSI vs SSDI: the one-paragraph difference
SSI and SSDI sound alike and both come from the same agency, but they are different programs. SSDI is insurance: you qualify by paying Social Security taxes long enough to earn work credits, and the payment is based on your earnings record — an average of $1,701 a month in 2027. SSI is needs-based: no work history is required, but your income and resources must be very low.
Some people receive both at once, called concurrent benefits. If you do, your SSDI check counts as income against your SSI, so the SSI portion is reduced. The two programs also pay on different schedules: SSDI follows your birthday — Wednesdays in January 2027 — while SSI is paid on the 1st of the month, moved earlier when the 1st falls on a weekend or holiday. That is why the January 2027 SSI payment arrives early, on December 31, 2026.
How to apply
You can apply online at ssa.gov, call 1-800-772-1213, or visit your local Social Security office. The application asks for proof of age, citizenship or immigration status, income, resources, living arrangements, and medical evidence if you are applying on the basis of disability. Disability decisions usually take several months, so apply as soon as you think you may qualify — the agency can backdate benefits to the month you applied.
In most states, SSI recipients automatically qualify for Medicaid, which covers health care that Medicare does not. Many also qualify for SNAP food benefits. So even a modest SSI payment can unlock support worth far more than the check itself.
FAQ
What is SSI?
Supplemental Security Income is a monthly federal payment from the Social Security Administration for people 65 or older, blind, or disabled who have little or no income and few resources. In 2027 the maximum is $1,029 a month for an individual and $1,544 for a couple.
How much does SSI pay in 2027?
The maximum federal payment is $1,029 a month for an individual, $1,544 for a couple, and $516 for an essential person. Most people get less because countable income is subtracted, and some states add a supplement on top.
What are the SSI income and resource limits?
Countable resources must be $2,000 or less for one person and $3,000 or less for a couple, unchanged since 1989. There is no fixed income cutoff: your payment equals the federal maximum minus your countable income, after exclusions such as the first $20 of most income and the first $65 of earnings plus half the rest.
Is SSI the same as SSDI?
No. SSDI is insurance based on your work history and earnings, averaging $1,701 a month in 2027. SSI is needs-based and requires no work history, but your income and resources must be very low. Some people receive both at the same time.
How do I apply for SSI?
Apply online at ssa.gov, call 1-800-772-1213, or visit a local Social Security office. Bring proof of age, citizenship or immigration status, income, resources, and medical evidence if applying on disability grounds.
Sources
- Social Security Administration, SSI Federal Payment Amounts for 2027
- Social Security Administration, 2027 Cost-of-Living Adjustment Fact Sheet (SSA, October 14, 2026)
- Social Security Administration, Understanding Supplemental Security Income (SSI)