What are the eligibility requirements for Supplemental Security Income? I understand that some recipients have never paid into Social Security, and that some need not even be a legal citizen.—W.C.S.
From the editor:
You heard right. Some recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits have never paid into Social Security, and certain non-citizen aliens may be eligible for SSI. Although administered by Social Security, SSI is a different program with different rules. General federal revenues fund the SSI Program. It is not funded through Social Security payroll taxes, and thus SSI recipients don’t have to pay Social Security taxes in order to be eligible for SSI benefits.
According to the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO), SSI pays monthly benefits to more than 6.8 million Americans, who have little or no financial resources, and who are aged, blind, or disabled. In 2002, individuals with incomes of $545 or less per month (couples with $817 or less per month) are eligible for SSI as long as they meet other financial criteria. They may not have assets worth more than $2,000 individual, or $3,000 couple, but SSI income limits and financial resources can vary by state.
Many states supplement the federal benefit amount. In most states, SSI recipients also can get Medicaid (medical assistance) to pay for hospital stays, doctor bills, prescription drugs, and other health costs. SSI recipients may also be eligible for food stamps. Persons apply for SSI at their local Social Security office, and some SSI recipients may also be eligible for Social Security benefits as well, if they have worked long enough under that program.
SSI has been designated by the GAO as a “high risk” program for waste, fraud and abuse. In 2001, the amount of outstanding and newly detected “overpayments” totaled $4.7 billion. In 1998, the Social Security Administration (SSA) pledged to cut its overpayment rate from 6.5% to 4% by 2002. But that proved overly optimistic. To date, SSA has only managed to cut the overpayment rate from 6.5% to 6.4% and now does not anticipate reaching the 4% target until 2005.
Source: “Supplemental Security Income, Status of Efforts to Improve Overpayment Detection and Recovery,” Statement of Robert E. Robertson, Director, Education, Workforce, and Income Security Issues, United States General Accounting Office, July 25, 2002, GAO-02-962T.
For a related story, see “House Acts to Tighten Social Security Fraud Protection” at http://www.tscl.org/NewContent/101551.asp.
November 2002
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