The federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program provides essential monthly cash benefits to disabled and elderly Arkansas residents with little income or assets of their own. Nationwide, there are about 7.4 million people collecting SSI benefits. This is based on a March 2024 report issued by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), a Washington, DC-based think tank that conducts research and analysis into tax and budget policies.
CBPP’s report offers a useful snapshot of the current state of SSI benefits in America. Among the reported findings:
- 85 percent of SSI beneficiaries qualify due to a severe disability, including blindness.
- 13 percent of SSI beneficiaries are children under the age of 18
- More than half of SSI recipients have no other source of income.
- Only about 4 in 10 SSI applications based on disability are ultimately allowed by the Social Security Administration.
Breaking down that last item further, CBPP noted that 43 percent of SSI applications were denied for “medical reasons.” That is to say, even if the SSI applicants suffered from one or more serious medical impairments that affected their ability to work, it was not deemed sufficient to meet the Social Security Administration’s definition of “disabled.”
Time to Increase Income and Asset Limits?
CBPP noted that current SSI benefit levels are not sufficient to lift someone living on their own out of poverty. Indeed, without taking into account any state-level additions or income deductions, the basic monthly SSI payment of $943 per month (or $1,145 for a married couple) only equals about 75 percent of the Federal Poverty Line.
CBPP’s report recommended increasing the basic SSI benefit level as well as making changes to the restrictions on income and assets. Currently, a person receiving SSI cannot have more than $2,000 in total assets if they are an individual, or $3,000 if they are a married couple. And if an SSI recipient has any other sources of income, or they live with someone who provides financial support, that reduces the amount of their monthly benefit.
There are some income exemptions allowed under SSI, but as CPBB notes, the amount of these exemptions have not changed since the program’s creation in 1974. For example, only the first $65 per month of “earned income” is exempt from SSI’s limits. Similarly, the $2,000/$3,000 asset limit has not changed since 1989.
Contact an Arkansas Supplemental Security Income Attorney Today
Even with the program’s limits and restrictions, SSI remains an important lifeline for many individuals and families struggling to make ends meet. And given Social Security’s high rate of rejections, it is especially crucial to work with a qualified Arkansas Supplemental Security Income lawyer who can assist you in not only applying for benefits, but pursuing the appeals process on your behalf if that initial application is rejected.
The SSI lawyers at Gall, Cazort, and Co. serve clients throughout Northwest Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma. Contact us today to schedule a free case evaluation.