Social Security Supplemental Income 2022 – Millions could get $10,000 in SSI benefits from new plan – do you qualify?

Claiming SSDI with SSI

Keep in mind that SSDI counts as income for SSI purposes, so collecting benefits from both has diminishing returns.

The SSA provided us with a possible monthly payment scenario where you can get a combined $861 from the two programs – assuming you qualify for both. 

An individual could get $500 SSDI and $361 from SSI on a monthly basis, according to the SSA.

How much are the benefits if you qualify for both?

As long as you meet the eligibility requirements for SSI and SSDI – then you could qualify for both.

The monthly maximum for SSI is $841 per month for an individual in 2022 or $10,092 a year.

As far as SSDI goes, the amount you receive is a bit more complicated.

What the SSA defines as income

Various types of payments and earnings don’t count as “income” though, including the first $20 of most income received in a month.

According to the SSA, grants, scholarships, loans, money gifts, income tax refunds, food stamps, among other things do not count as income for SSI.  

Wages, unemployment benefits, and other SSA benefits count as income for SSI.

SSI vs. SSDI: asset limits

To qualify for SSI, individuals can’t have more than $2,000 in assets, while couples can have up to $3,000.

The SSI income limit is more complicated, but it’s generally the same as the maximum benefit each month.

For SSDI, the monthly earnings limit is $1,350 for most claimants – but that is boosted to $2,260 if a beneficiary is blind.

How are SSI and SSDI different?

While both SSI and SSDI aim to provide aid to those with disabilities – the eligibility requirements are different, which many applicants aren’t clear on.

In fact, a survey conducted by Disability Secrets found that just 42% of its readers who applied for SSI or SSDI actually wind up receiving benefits. 

Replacing your Social Security card, continued

The exceptions are Alaska, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, and West Virginia.

You can generally apply for a replacement card online in other states if the below applies:

• Are a US citizen age 18 or older with a US mailing address
• Are not requesting a name change or any other change to your card
• Have a driver’s license or state-issued identification card from one of the many participating states or the District of Columbia

If you need help, you can contact the Social Security Administration (SSA) by calling 1-800-772-1213 or by visiting your local Social Security office.

Getting a replacement Social Security card

If you lose your card, you may not need a replacement one as simply knowing the Social Security number is enough in many cases.

However, if you’d like a replacement card, you can order it online via your Social Security account in most states.

Other acceptable documents to get a Social Security card

To prove your identity, you could also provide a driver’s license.

If you don’t have one, you could present an employee identification card, school identification card, or health insurance card instead.

You must provide at least two separate documents, as one can only be used for two purposes — such as citizenship and age.

How to get a Social Security card

To get a Social Security card, you need to apply for a Social Security number.

Depending on where you’re born, and whether you’re a US citizen, you’ll need to present a range of original documents.

For a US-born adult citizen, you’ll have to show proof of US citizenship and your age by providing a US birth certificate or a US passport, for example.

SNAP eligibility requirements

Currently, households may have $2,250 in resources or $3,500 if at least one person is age 60 or older or disabled.

If you are between the ages of 18 and 49 and able to work but currently unemployed without dependents, you may only be eligible for SNAP benefits for three months within a three-year period.

Who is eligible for SNAP?

SNAP, commonly referred to as food stamps, helps low-income people buy nutritious food.

To get SNAP benefits, your household must make under a certain income level. Your household includes everyone who lives with you, buys, and prepares food together.

Resources, such as cash or money in a bank account, also affect eligibility.

COLA increase and SNAP benefits

Millions of Social Security beneficiaries are getting larger payments in 2022 via the 5.9 percent Social Security Administration (SSA) COLA boost.

The increase, though, can have an effect on people who are part of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

The program helps low-income people, and households need to be under certain income levels in order to receive assistance.

Americans on Social Security may be at risk of losing SNAP benefits if their new income level after the COLA boost exceeds the limits.

The upside of winning an appeal

While the appeal process can be drawn out, it’s worth the fight if you believe you qualify.

If your application is denied and you apply again, that new application sets the date of your effective benefit.

On the other hand, winning an appeal can land you months or years of backpay that accumulated while your application was pending.

The success rate of SSI appeals

Since 1988, between 8% and 16% of people who request reconsiderations each year ultimately win their claim and receive benefits, according to SSA data.

While that number is not astronomical, it shows that the initial determination is not final, and you can still press for benefits.

Appealing SSI decisions if you’re denied benefits

If your application for SSI is denied, you have the right to appeal that decision in most cases.

However, the majority of applicants who are denied do not appeal, either because they don’t think it’s worthwhile or don’t know they can.

The SSA will contact you after you apply with an “initial determination,” notifying you if you qualify or not.

If you disagree with the determination, you can request a reconsideration on medical or non-medical grounds.

Is there a limit to SSI back pay?

The Social Security Administration makes payments for SSI back pay in three installments.

According to AARP, if your SSI back pay is more than three times the program’s maximum monthly payment ($841 in 2022), you will not get it in a lump sum.

Instead, it will come in three installments at six-month intervals.

Who typically qualifies for back pay?

In general, it takes three to five months to get approval, according to the SSA, meaning most applicants can get back pay.

Back payments are different than retroactive payments.

Retroactive payments cover the months before your application date and are not offered for SSI, even if you suffered the disability years before you applied.

SSI back pay, explained

Getting approval for SSI can take months.

In some cases, you may qualify for payments for the period of time between your application date and the date you were approved.

If your initial application was denied, and you appealed and were approved, you may have even more incentive to apply for back pay.

Disability benefits

The Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program pays benefits to you and your family if you worked long enough and recently enough.

You must have paid Social Security taxes on your earnings before becoming disabled.

You must also meet certain requirements defined by the SSA, including a disability that has lasted or is expected to last at least one year or result in death.

The benefit is for life unless the SSA feels you no longer qualify.

SSI benefits for children with disabilities

According to the Clinton Journal, to be deemed medically qualified for SSI, a child must fulfill all of the following disability requirements:

• In 2022, if the kid is not blind, he or she must not be working or earning more than $1,350 per month. In 2022, if the child is blind, they must not work or earn more than $2,260.
• The child must have a medical condition or conditions that cause significant functional difficulties. This indicates that the condition(s) must severely limit the activities of the youngster.
• The condition(s) of the kid must last at least a year or be predicted to cause death.

How remarriage affects SSI

If you are getting remarried, your SSI payment amount may change as a result of your new spouse’s income and resources.

If you and your new spouse both get SSI, your payment amount will change from an individual rate to a couple’s rate.

To determine the SSI benefit amount a couple is eligible to receive, their combined countable income is deducted from the federal benefit rate.

The result is then divided equally and paid to the couple in separate checks. 

How remarriage affects survivor benefits

If you decide to remarry before turning the age of 60, you will lose eligibility for survivor benefits on the prior marriage.

So, if your survivor benefits are part of your main income source, this is something that you might want to take into consideration.

Remarrying after turning 60 years old has no effect on survivor benefits.

If you simply got divorced and later decide to remarry, the benefits paid to you from your prior spouse’s account stop.

Does remarriage affect Social Security?

Remarriage does not affect a person’s Social Security retirement benefits.

This is because these payments are calculated based on your and your spouse’s individual earnings histories.

How to apply for parental survivors benefits

To apply for mother’s or father’s benefits, the Social Security Administration states that you need to prove your eligibility by providing the following documents:

• Evidence of worker’s death
• Your birth certificate or other documents that verify your birth
• Evidence of your US citizenship or lawful alien status
• Proof of US military discharge papers
• Your W-2 forms and/or self-employment tax returns for the previous year
• Marriage certificate
• Final divorce decree (if you are applying as a surviving divorced father or mother)
• Birth certificate of the child

How to apply for widow/widower survivors benefits

According to the Social Security Administration, to apply for widows/widowers or surviving divorced spouse’s benefits, you need to prove your eligibility by providing the following documents:

• Evidence of the worker’s death
• Your birth certificate or other documents that verify your birth
• Evidence of your US citizenship or lawful alien status
• Proof of US military discharge papers (if you had military service before 1968)
• Your W-2 forms and/or self-employment tax returns for the previous year
• Final divorce decree (if you are applying as a surviving divorced partner)
• Marriage certificate