How to Apply for SSI (Supplemental Security Income): Eligibility, Limits and the Application
Cross-checked against official SSA.gov policy guidelines and Title 20 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a monthly payment from the Social Security Administration (SSA) for people who are 65 or older, blind, or disabled and who have very limited income and assets. It is not Social Security retirement or disability insurance: it is funded from general revenue, requires no work history, and is means-tested every month. People searching for an "SSI office" end up at a regular Social Security field office, because every field office takes SSI applications.
Who qualifies
All of the following must be true:
- Age 65 or older, blind, or disabled. For adults, SSA uses the same definition of disability as SSDI: a condition that prevents substantial gainful activity for at least 12 months. Children under 18 have a separate standard based on marked and severe functional limitations.
- Limited resources. Countable assets of $2,000 for an individual or $3,000 for a couple.
- Limited income. Income reduces the payment; too much income means no payment.
- U.S. citizen or a qualifying non-citizen (certain lawful permanent residents, refugees, asylees and others), living in one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia or the Northern Mariana Islands. Residents of Puerto Rico and other territories are not eligible.
- Not absent from the country for a full calendar month or 30 consecutive days.
What counts as a resource
| Counted | Not counted |
|---|---|
| Cash and bank accounts | The home you live in and the land it sits on |
| Stocks, bonds, mutual funds | One vehicle, regardless of value, if used for transportation |
| A second vehicle | Household goods and personal effects |
| Land or property you do not live on | Burial plots and up to $1,500 in burial funds per person |
| Life insurance with cash value over $1,500 | Life insurance with face value of $1,500 or less |
| Anything that could be converted to cash | ABLE account balances (for people disabled before 26) up to the federal limit |
Resources are measured on the first of each month. Spending down assets on exempt items before applying is allowed; giving them away is not, and transfers for less than fair value can bar eligibility for up to 36 months.
How income reduces the payment
SSA starts from the federal benefit rate (set each January and published on ssa.gov) and subtracts countable income. Not all income counts equally:
- The first $20 of most income each month is excluded.
- For earned income (wages, self-employment), a further $65 is excluded and only half of the remainder counts.
- Unearned income (Social Security, pensions, unemployment, gifts) counts dollar for dollar after the $20 exclusion.
- In-kind support: since September 2024 food given to you no longer counts; free or reduced shelter still can.
- Deemed income: for a child, part of the parents' income counts; for a married applicant, part of an ineligible spouse's income counts.
Several states add a state supplement to the federal payment; some pay it through SSA, others separately.
How to apply
Start online
Adults aged 18 to 64 who have never applied before can start at ssa.gov/ssi. You give basic information and SSA then calls you to complete the application in an interview. Starting online also protects your filing date, which matters because SSI is never paid for months before the application.
The full SSI application cannot be completed online. People aged 65 and older, and parents applying for a child, go straight to the phone or office route.
By phone
Call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time, and ask for an SSI appointment. The representative sets a date for a telephone interview, usually 60 to 90 minutes. Your filing date is protected from the day you call, as long as you file within 60 days.
At a Social Security office
Book through the appointment page and bring the documents below. Find your office with the ZIP locator. Any field office takes SSI claims; in New York City, Philadelphia, Orlando and the Twin Cities only card work goes to a separate Card Center.
The interview
Expect questions about:
- Your living arrangement: who lives with you, who pays the rent and bills
- Every source of income for you and your spouse (or parents, for a child)
- Every bank account, vehicle, property and insurance policy
- For disability claims: your medical history, treating doctors, medications, and work in the last 15 years
- Citizenship or immigration status
The field office decides the non-medical part (income, resources, residence). For blind and disabled applicants, the medical part goes to the state Disability Determination Services, which can take several months. Aged applicants with no disability claim are usually decided within a few weeks.
Documents to have ready
- Social Security number and proof of age (birth certificate or passport)
- Proof of citizenship or immigration status
- Bank statements for all accounts
- Pay stubs, award letters, pension statements
- Lease or mortgage statement, utility bills
- Vehicle registration, life-insurance policies, deeds
- For disability: doctor and hospital contact details, medication list, medical records you hold, work history
- Bank routing and account number for direct deposit (SSI can also be paid to a Direct Express card)
Originals or agency-certified copies; SSA returns them. The complete checklist is in what to bring to the Social Security office.
After approval
- Medicaid: in most states, SSI approval brings automatic Medicaid. A few states require a separate Medicaid application; the award letter says which.
- SNAP: SSI recipients can usually apply for food assistance at the same time; some states let the Social Security office take the application.
- Payment date: SSI is paid on the 1st of the month (or the preceding business day when the 1st falls on a weekend or holiday).
- Reporting: you must report, within 10 days after the end of the month, any change in income, resources, living arrangement, marital status, or a move, and any time you leave the country. Late or missed reports cause overpayments that SSA recovers from future checks.
- Redeterminations: SSA reviews income and resources every one to six years, and medical condition on a schedule set by the DDS.
If you are denied
You have 60 days to request reconsideration, then a hearing before an administrative law judge, then Appeals Council and federal court review. Non-medical denials (over the resource limit, for example) can often be fixed by documenting an exempt asset. Medical denials follow the same appeals ladder as SSDI, described in the SSDI vs SSI guide.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get SSI and Social Security at the same time?
Yes, if your Social Security benefit is below the SSI federal rate. SSI tops up the difference, minus the $20 exclusion.
Does my spouse's income count?
If your spouse is not eligible for SSI and you live together, part of their income is "deemed" to you after allowances for the spouse and any children.
Can I own a house and get SSI?
Yes. The home you live in is exempt regardless of value.
Is there a separate SSI office?
No. Every Social Security field office takes SSI applications. Use the locator to find the nearest one.
How long does an SSI decision take?
Aged claims: usually a few weeks. Disability claims: several months, because the medical decision is made by the state DDS.
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