The Social Security Administration recently said that there will be three major changes that will help poor people in the United States get more money. Soon, a lot of the things that make it hard for poor people to get food and other things they need will be taken away so that they can get a single cash or insurance program from the SSA.
The agency will also make it easier for people with low or no income and few means to get Supplemental Security Income benefits and make the rules for these benefits more general.
Social Security beneficiaries could be eligible to receive more money
As of Monday, people who apply for or receive SSI will not have their Social Security benefits cut or rejected because they get unofficial food aid from friends, family, and local networks. The government will no longer use food as part of its in-kind support and maintenance (ISM) calculations.
When it comes to people who get SSI, the change is appreciated. Based on the agency’s figures, more than 90,000 people would get an extra $131 a month in SSI payments. Along with that, it would allow more people to be qualified for help.
Commissioner Martin O’Malley told the Detroit Free Press on Friday that SSI is a program for the poorest people. The program was started in the 1970s to help elderly or disabled people with limited means and income by giving them money every month.
O’Malley says that the program is based on income, and that people who want to be qualified must have very little money. As of December 2023, about 248,300 people in Michigan were getting SSI funds. Of those, 31,576 were children and teens under the age of 18.
According to the Social Security website, people who make less than $1,971 a month are usually the only ones who can get SSI. Couples and parents who are claiming for their children can make more money. The Social Security Administration says that they look at more than just your job when deciding if you are eligible for benefits.
For example, they may look at pensions, jobless benefits, and disability benefits. You can use the free calculator at www.ssa.gov/ssi/eligibility to get a sense of who can get help. O’Malley says that the goal has been to simplify everything about SSI, even the way programs are managed. He said that the process would be easier because of the changes that were coming.
Additional Social Security changes are ready to be implemented
Starting Monday, the agency is waiving the rental subsidy for all SSI applicants and recipients across the country who had previously applied in seven states. This includes Michigan, which was not one of the states that had been touched by the policy before.
The agency thinks that this change could make more people eligible for SSI and raise about 41,000 people’s monthly payments by about $132. A third change is about food supplements. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will be added to the agency’s list of types of public help starting Monday.
Because of this, the agency will no longer need all members of a household that gets public aid to be counted as part of that household when the person files for these Social Security benefits. The broader meaning of public assistance will make it possible for more people to get SSI.
Some monthly payment amounts will also go up, and people living in public assistance households will not have to report as much. It is estimated that the extra money will help about 277,000 people. The agency thinks that a person living in a household that gets public aid doesn’t get any money from other people in the household.
With this big change, more people will be able to get Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and in some cases, they will get bigger payments from the program. Remember that people 65 and older with low incomes and few resources can get SSI payments.
So can adults and children who are blind or disabled. Basic costs like rent, food, clothes, and medicine are partly covered by the benefits. People who want to get or keep SSI must meet certain requirements, such as having limited resources and income.