Supplemental Security Income is a government program that benefits blind, aged, and disabled people with very little or no income. It helps these people by providing cash for basic needs, such as food, clothing, and shelter.

Many individuals qualify for this program, and the qualifications may be confusing for many. So, let’s look at which people may be qualified for this program and some of the factors that may disqualify individuals from receiving these benefits.

How Do I Qualify for Supplemental Security Income? 

To qualify for Supplemental Security Income, a person needs to be blind, disabled, or aged. The person also needs to have limited resources or income and be a United States citizen or national. Also, people in certain categories of aliens, including most legal immigrants that otherwise meet legal qualifications, qualify for SSI benefits. The person must also be a resident of one of the fifty states, the Northern Mariana Islands, or the District of Columbia. They must not be out of the country for thirty or more consecutive days or a calendar month.

For the purposes of SSI benefits, aged means 65 years of age or older. For most SSI benefits eligibility purposes, blindness is defined as possessing a 20/200 vision acuity or worse with the use of corrective lenses or an angle of the visual field of 20° or lower. The qualifications of disability are expansive and may include any physical or mental impairment that severely limits an individual’s ability to work and is not expected to be resolved in less than twelve months.

Who Is Not Eligible for SSI? 

Some people are not eligible for SSI benefits. Any person with an arrest warrant or unsatisfied felony for escaping custody or fleeing from prosecution or confinement cannot receive benefits or retroactive benefits until proof is provided that the warrant has been satisfied. Also, if a person is in jail, prison, a correctional boot camp, halfway house, or another correctional institution, they may not collect SSI for any full calendar month they are confined in any of these facilities or retroactive payments from before the incarceration. To receive the retroactive payments, the person needs to contact the SSA and prove they are no longer a prisoner. To qualify, a person must not be confined to an institution or apply for any other cash benefits, such as Social Security or a pension.

A person is also ineligible for SSI if they are in a public institution for an entire month other than a publicly operated community shelter or public emergency shelter for the homeless. Also, if someone gives away resources to get below the resource limit for SSI, they could be disqualified for SSI for up to three years. A non-citizen could also be disqualified due to not meeting alien status requirements.

There are a large number of people qualifying for SSI benefits, with the number growing every day. Due to the large number of factors that determine SSI benefits eligibility, there is a number who aren’t even aware they are qualified. So, don’t miss out on receiving your benefits and see if you are qualified today! Visit serenitassnp.com.