How Much is the Average SSI Payment? Many things can affect your SSI payment amount

You may be wondering what is the average SSI payment? Supplemental Security Income (“SSI” for short) is an entitlement program designed to help aged, blind, and disabled people who have very little or no income. It is meant to provide a modest amount of money to such individuals to help them pay for their basic needs. Often times, SSI recipients also qualify for others types of government programs, such as supplemental nutrition assistance programs and subsidized housings and utilities.

The average SSI payment a person receives is affected by a number of factors. These factors can get complicated and can have serious consequences if not handled correctly. Many kinds of income can

affect the amount of SSI an individual or family is entitled to, including working wages, gifts from others, inheritances, the types of property and assets in a person’s name, and so forth. A person receiving SSI must report to Social Security any changes in their household income and assets so that their SSI can be adjusted accordingly. Failure to do so can result in overpayments. An overpayment occurs when Social Security pays an individual more money than they should have. In such cases, the recipient often has to pay the money they were overpaid back to Social Security.

The highest SSI payment an individual can receive in 2019 is $771 per month (updated- in 2022 it is $841). For couples where both individuals are receiving SSI, the maximum payment amount is $1,157 total per month (updated- in 2022 it is $1,261). Again, these amounts will be adjusted to account for any other applicable income coming into the household.  Update- please note a large portion of SSI payments in 2022 are for about $560 per month. This is because there is an offset if you live somewhere without contributing to the rent.

Social Security Disability Attorneys can help advise you as to how your household and personal income and assets can affect your SSI payment amount. SSD/SSI Attorneys can make sure you get the benefits you’re entitled to while also making sure you avoid errors and overpayments. Call the Attorneys at Smith Godios Sorensen Inc. toll-free at 877-230-5500 to discuss any questions you have about SSI.