What You Need to Know 

When You Get Supplemental 

Security Income (SSI)

SocialSecurity.gov

What’s inside

Introduction 1

About your payments 1

What you must report to us 4

Things you should know if you get SSI 

because you have a disability 17

How and when to report changes 20

Other things you should know 22

Contacting Us 26

1

Introduction

This booklet explains some of your rights and 

responsibilities when you receive Supplemental Security 

Income (SSI) payments.

We suggest you take some time now to read this booklet, 

so you can refer to it in the future.

If you get Social Security retirement or survivors benefits, 

you should read, What You Need to Know When You 

Get Retirement or Survivors Benefits (Publication 

No. 05-10077). If you get Social Security disability 

benefits, you should read, What You Need to Know When 

You Get Disability Benefits (Publication No. 05-10153).

NOTE: To get SSI, you must live in one of the 50 states, 

the District of Columbia, or the Northern Mariana Islands 

and be a U.S. citizen or national. People who live in 

American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. 

Virgin Islands cannot receive SSI.

About your payments

Before you begin receiving SSI payments, we’ll send a 

letter telling you when they will start and the amount you will 

receive. (We may have enclosed this booklet with the letter.)

We’ll issue your 1st SSI payment for the 1st full month after 

you applied or became eligible for SSI. You may not get 

the same amount every month. The amount depends on 

your other income and living arrangements. We’ll tell you 

in advance whenever we change your payment amount.

We base your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd monthly amounts on your 1st

month’s income. Sometimes you won’t receive a type of 

income in the 2nd month that you received in the 1st month. 

We call this “nonrecurring income.” When this happens, 

we base your SSI payment for the 2nd and 3rd months 

on your countable income from the 1st month, minus the 

nonrecurring income.
2

After that, we usually base your SSI payment amount 

on your income from 2 months before. For example, a 

recipient living in California gets a $500 Social Security 

benefit as a surviving spouse and a $463 SSI payment. 

In June, they buy a lottery scratch-off card, win $200, and 

report that to us. That means in August, we’ll reduce the 

SSI payment to $263. In this example, the SSI payment 

will return to $463 in September.

Your federal SSI payment may increase each year, 

if necessary, to keep up with the cost of living. These 

increases usually start with your January payment, which 

you’ll receive at the end of December.

If you disagree with a decision we make

If you disagree with any decision we make about your 

SSI, you have the right to ask us to look at your case 

again. Whenever we send you a letter about your 

SSI, we’ll tell you what to do if you disagree. For more 

information, go online to read Your Right to Question the 

Decision Made on Your Claim (Publication No. 05-10058).

Your right to be represented

You may handle your own SSI case with free help 

from us. You also have the right to have someone 

represent you. There are rules about who can represent 

you and what your representative can do. We’ll work 

with your representative as we would work with you. 

Ask us if you want to learn how you can appoint 

someone to act on your behalf. You can also find more 

information about representation in the Your Right to 

Representation (Publication No. 05-10075), or online at 

www.ssa.gov/representation.
3

Electronic payments

As required by law, you should have signed up to receive 

your payments electronically when you applied for SSI.

Direct deposit is a simple, safe, and secure way to receive 

your payments. Sign up for direct deposit by contacting 

either us or your bank.

Another option is the Direct Express® card program. With 

Direct Express®, deposits from federal payments are 

made directly to the card account. Signing up for the card 

is quick and easy. Call the toll-free Treasury Electronic 

Payment Solution Contact Center at 1-800-333-1795. Or, 

sign up online at www.GoDirect.gov. We can also help 

you sign up.

If you don’t receive your electronic payment on its due 

date, please call your bank or financial institution first. 

They may be experiencing a delay in posting your 

payment. If you still need to report a missing payment, 

call us at our toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213.

If you receive an electronic payment that is not yours, 

have your financial institution return it to the U.S. Treasury 

Department. You may face criminal charges if you 

knowingly accept payments that aren’t due to you.

Cost-of-living adjustments

Each January, your payments will increase automatically 

if the cost of living has gone up. For example, if the cost 

of living has increased by 2%, your benefits will also 

increase by 2%. We’ll notify you in advance of your 

new amount.
4

Reviewing your case

The law requires that we review every SSI case from 

time to time to make sure you are still eligible for SSI and 

are receiving the correct amount. We’ll tell you when it’s 

time for your review. Your review can take place by mail, 

phone, or in person at a local Social Security office.

We’ll ask you the same kind of questions you answered 

when you applied for SSI.

We’ll need information about your income, resources, 

living arrangements, and bank accounts. Keep the 

savings or checking account statements you get from 

your bank. You may need them when we review your 

case. Also, keep your pay slips if you or your spouse 

works. We’ll need their pay slips, too. Don’t wait for your 

review to tell us about any changes. You should report 

a change as soon as it happens. The section about 

reporting changes starts below. If you get SSI because of 

a disability, read the section titled, “Things you should 

know if you get SSI because you have a disability.”

What you must report to us

You must report any changes to us because they may 

affect your eligibility for SSI and your payment amount.

NOTE: If you don’t report changes timely, or if you give 

us false information or withhold information, you may be 

penalized. The penalty can range from $25 to $100. If 

we discover that you gave false information or withheld 

information on purpose, we can sanction you by stopping 

your payments from 6 to 24 months.
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The things you must report to us are listed below. If you 

live in California, Hawaii, Michigan, or Vermont, read the 

section titled, “Special rules for people in some states.”

If you move or change your address page 6

If you change direct deposit accounts page 6

If someone moves into or out of

your household page 6

If you start or stop work page 6

If there’s a change in your income or 

the income of family members page 7

If there’s a change in your resources page 11

If you get help with living expenses page 12

If you enter or leave an institution (hospital, 

nursing home or prison) page 12

If you get married, separated, or divorced page 13

If you change your name page 13

If you become a parent page 13

If you leave the United States page 14

If you have an outstanding felony

or arrest warrant page 14

If you’re confined to a correctional facility page 15

If you’re a sponsored noncitizen page 15

If you’re age 18 to 22 and start or 

stop attending school page 15

If a person getting SSI isn’t able to 

manage funds page 16

If a person getting SSI dies page 16

If your immigration status changes page 16

Special rules for people in some states page 17

If you get better page 17
6

If you move or change your address

When you move or change your address, tell us your 

new address and phone number as soon as you know 

them. Even if you receive your payments by direct deposit 

or Direct Express®, we must have your correct address 

so we can send letters and other important information 

to you. We’ll stop your payments if we are unable to 

contact you.

Also, tell your post office about your new address.

If you change direct deposit accounts

If you change financial institutions or open a new account, 

be sure to let us know. We can change your direct deposit 

information over the phone. Have your old and new bank 

account numbers on hand when you call us. The account 

numbers are printed on your personal checks and bank 

account statements. Changing this information takes us 

about 30 to 60 days. Don’t close your old bank account 

until after you make sure we’ve deposited your SSI 

payments into your new account.

If someone moves into or out of your household

Changes in the number of people who live with you can 

affect your SSI payment amount. Let us know if there’s a 

change in the number of people who live with you. You 

must tell us if:

• Someone moves into or out of your home.

• Someone who lives with you dies.

• You or someone who lives with you has a baby.

• Any family members who are getting benefits move in 

with you.

If you start or stop work

Let us know if you or your family members start or stop 

working.
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If there’s a change in your income or the income 

of family members

If you have income other than your SSI, you must tell us 

about it. And you should tell us if the amount of your other 

income increases or decreases, or if the income stops. 

Usually, changes in your income in a month will affect your 

SSI payment 2 months later. You should report a change as 

soon as it happens, and report wages each month.

You should also tell us about changes in the income of 

other family members who live with you. For example:

• You are a noncitizen and have a sponsor, and your 

sponsor (or their spouse) starts or stops working. This 

applies even if your sponsor doesn’t live with you.

• If you’re married, tell us about any change in your 

spouse’s income.

• If you have a child younger than 18 who gets SSI and 

lives with you, tell us about any change in:

—The child’s income.

—Your income.

—Your spouse’s income.

—The income of any child in your home who is not 

getting SSI.

Also tell us if:

—A child in your home who is not getting SSI gets 

married.

—A child who is working, or who is age 18 to 22, starts 

or stops attending school full time.
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What we count as income

Under SSI, income includes cash, checks, and other 

things you get that can be used for food or shelter. 

Examples of income include:

• Wages from your job, whether in cash or another form.

• Net earnings from your business if you’re self-employed.

• The value of food or shelter that someone gives you, 

or the amount of money someone gives you to help 

pay for them.

• Department of Veterans Affairs benefits.

• Railroad retirement and railroad unemployment benefits.

• Annuities, pensions from any government or private 

source, workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance 

benefits, black lung benefits and Social Security benefits.

• Prizes, settlements, and awards, including 

court-ordered awards.

• Proceeds of life insurance policies.

• Gifts and contributions.

• Support and alimony payments.

• Inheritances in cash or property.

• Rental income.

• Strike pay and other benefits from unions.

Items that do not count as income

Examples of items that aren’t income include:

• Medical care and services.

• Social services.

• Money from the sale, exchange, or replacement of 

things you own (though the money may count as a 

resource if you retain it until the next month).

• Income tax refunds.

• Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit payments.
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• Payments made by life or disability insurance on 

charge accounts or other credit accounts.

• Proceeds of a loan.

• Bills paid by someone else for things other than food 

or shelter.

• Settlement payments to eligible American Indian 

landowners whose assets had been mismanaged by 

the United States.

• Replacement of lost or stolen income.

• Help you get to weatherize your home.

Some things we normally count as “income” won’t reduce 

your SSI payment. For example, under certain conditions, 

home energy assistance provided by certain home energy 

suppliers isn’t counted as income. Food, shelter, and 

home energy assistance provided free, or at a reduced 

rate, by private nonprofit organizations also aren’t 

counted. Even though these items may not count, you 

should still tell us about them.

Reporting your earned income

You must report to us all earned income you get from 

wages or self-employment, beginning with the date you 

filed your SSI application.

We’ll need to verify your wages or self-employment income. 

Keep all your pay slips, including those for overtime, 

vacations, and bonuses. You must promptly report changes 

in work activity each month after you have received your 

final payment for the month. You must report changes no 

later than the 10th day of the following month. In addition to 

reporting your income, you must tell us when:

• You start or stop working.

• Your work hours or rate of pay change.

• You start paying expenses for work because of your 

disability.
10

You must report your wages. There are several ways to do it.

• You can report wages using one of the following 

automated or electronic options:

—my Social Security – A personal my Social Security

account has a convenient online wage reporting tool 

that you can use on your computer or smartphone.

—SSI Telephone Wage Reporting System – A toll-free 

automated system. It allows you, your spouse, parents 

of a child receiving SSI, and your representative payee 

to report the total gross monthly wages for the prior 

month to us using our automated prompts.

—The SSA Mobile Wage Reporting application allows 

certain recipients, their spouses, parents, and 

representative payees to report wages from pay stubs 

for the prior month using a mobile device. Wage 

reporters can download and install the free application 

from the Apple apps or Google Play Stores.

• When you use these options, we prefer you report your 

wages by the 6th day of each month. Please contact 

your local office to determine if these options will work 

for you and to receive instructions on how to report 

wages using these methods.

• Mail, fax, or bring your pay slips to your local Social 

Security office each month as soon as you receive the 

last pay slips for the month. Do this no later than the 

10th day of the next month.

If you’re self-employed, notify us of your self-employment 

either by phone, mail, or in person. We’ll help you 

determine your net earnings from self-employment. There 

are a few things you must do:

• Report any change that could affect the amount of your 

net earnings from self-employment.

• Maintain business records.

• Provide us with a copy of your federal income tax 

return when it becomes available.
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If there’s a change in your resources

Tell us if there is any change in what you own. A single 

person can have resources up to $2,000 and still get SSI. A 

couple can have resources up to $3,000 and still get SSI.

Resources we don’t count

We don’t count many of the things you own toward the 

SSI resource limit. Your home and the land that it’s on 

don’t count if it’s your primary residence. Depending on 

how they are used, household goods, personal property, 

and a car may not count. Life insurance with a face value 

of $1,500 or less per person usually doesn’t count. Up to 

$1,500 in burial funds for you and up to $1,500 in burial 

funds for your spouse don’t count. Burial plots for you and 

your immediate family also don’t count. Even though these 

items may not count, you should still tell us about them.

Resources we count

Some of the things we do count are:

• Cash.

• Checking and savings accounts.

• Christmas club accounts.

• Certificates of deposit, also called CDs.

• Stocks and U.S. Savings Bonds.

Any payments that you get from SSI or Social Security for 

past months won’t be counted as a resource for 9 months 

after the month you get them. If there are any past 

payments left over after the 9-month period, they’ll count 

as resources.

What you need to tell us

If you’re single, tell us if your resources are more than 

$2,000. If you’re living with your spouse, tell us if your 

combined resources are more than $3,000.
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If you have a child who gets SSI, you should tell us about 

changes in the things the child owns AND the things you 

and your spouse own.

If you agreed to sell property so you could get SSI, 

you should tell us when you sell it. If you don’t sell the 

property, you may not be able to get any more SSI 

payments. You may have to return any payments we 

already sent to you.

If your name is on any bank account with another person, 

you must tell us about the account, even if you don’t 

consider the money to be yours. You must tell us about 

the account, even if you don’t use the money or account. 

If someone wants to add your name to an account, check 

with us first. If the money isn’t really yours, or if it’s for 

a special purpose, we can tell you how to set up the 

account so it won’t affect your SSI. A special purpose, for 

example, may be medical expenses.

If you (or your spouse) buy, sell, or become the owner of any 

real estate, a car, or personal property, you need to tell us.

Call us if you aren’t sure if something counts. We’ll help 

you figure it out.

If you get help with living expenses

Let us know if someone gives you money, food, or free 

housing. Also, tell us if anyone helps pay for your food, 

utilities, rent, or mortgage, or if the amount someone pays 

you changes. If you used to get help with expenses and 

don’t get it now, tell us that, too.

If you enter or leave an institution (hospital, 

nursing home, or prison)

You must tell us if you enter or leave a residential 

institution, hospital, skilled nursing facility, nursing home, 

intermediate care facility, halfway house, jail, prison, 

public emergency shelter, or any other kind of institution. 
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Let us know the name of the institution and the date you 

entered or left. If you aren’t able to tell us, ask someone in 

the institution’s office to help you.

You usually can’t get SSI while in a public institution. If 

you enter a medical institution, it’s especially important to 

tell us right away. There are special rules if you enter a 

medical institution for a stay of less than 90 days. Often, 

you can keep getting your SSI if we learn about it right 

away. Your doctor must sign a statement about how 

long you’ll stay. Also, you must sign a statement that 

you still need to pay expenses for your home while you 

are in the institution. We need these statements as soon 

as possible, but no later than the 90th day you’re in the 

institution, or the day you leave, (whichever is earlier). 

If your spouse is institutionalized, you must report this 

change. If their Social Security benefits are redirected to 

you to use for household expenses, this counts as income 

to you and must be reported to us.

If you get married, separated, or divorced

Tell us if you get married, or if your marriage ends. 

Also, tell us if you separate from your spouse. If you’re 

separated now, tell us if you begin to live together again.

If you change your name

If you change your name — by marriage, divorce, or court 

order — you need to tell us right away. If you don’t give 

us this information, your benefits will be issued under your 

old name and, if you have direct deposit, payments may 

not reach your account.

If you become a parent

If you become the parent of a child (including an adopted 

child) after you begin receiving SSI payments, let 

us know.
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If you leave the United States

Leaving the United States means leaving the 50 states, 

the District of Columbia, or the Northern Mariana Islands. 

Usually, if you leave the United States for 30 days or 

more, you can no longer get SSI.

If you move to Puerto Rico, you’re considered to be 

outside the United States for SSI purposes only. People 

who live in American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the 

U.S. Virgin Islands cannot receive SSI.

If you plan to leave the United States, tell us before you 

leave. We need to know the date you plan to leave and 

the date you plan to come back. Then, we can tell you if 

your SSI will be affected.

After you have been outside the United States for 30 or 

more days in a row, your SSI can’t start again until you 

have been back in the country for at least 30 straight days.

There are special rules for dependent children of military 

personnel who leave the United States. They may be able 

to get or apply for SSI while overseas. There are also 

exceptions for students studying abroad.

If you have an outstanding felony or arrest warrant

You must tell us if you have an outstanding felony or 

arrest warrant for any of the following offenses:

• Flight to avoid prosecution or confinement.

• Escape from custody.

• Flight-escape.

You cannot receive a monthly payment for any month 

there is an outstanding felony or arrest warrant for any 

of these offenses. If you are due an underpayment, you 

cannot receive it if you currently have an outstanding 

felony or arrest warrant for any of these offenses.
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If you’re confined to a correctional facility

Tell us right away if you’re incarcerated or confined to a 

correctional facility. You can’t receive a monthly payment 

if you’re confined to a correctional facility for a full 

calendar month. You can’t receive any underpayment you 

may be due if you are currently confined to a correctional 

facility for a full calendar month.

If you’re a sponsored noncitizen

You may be an immigrant who is sponsored by a U.S. 

resident. If so, we look at the income and resources of the 

following people in deciding whether you can get SSI and 

how much your payment will be:

• Yourself (including anything you still have in 

your homeland).

• Your spouse.

• Your parents if you are under age 18.

• Your sponsor.

• Your sponsor’s spouse.

You must report any changes in the income and resources 

of all the above people until you become a U.S. citizen, or 

until you work for 10 years. (Work done by your spouse or 

parent may count toward the 10 years for SSI.) After that 

time, you have to report only changes for yourself, your 

spouse, and, if you are younger than age 18, your parents.

If you’re age 18 to 22 and start or stop 

attending school

If you’re age 18 to 22, tell us if you start or stop attending 

school regularly. It may affect your SSI. Also, tell us the 

date your attendance changed.
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If a person getting SSI isn’t able to manage funds

Sometimes a person is unable to manage or direct the 

management of their own funds. If this happens, someone 

should let us know. We can arrange to send the SSI 

payment to a “representative payee.” A representative 

payee is someone who agrees to manage and use the 

money for the well-being of the person getting SSI. 

For more information, read A Guide for Representative 

Payees (Publication No. 05-10076).

NOTE: People who have “power of attorney” for 

someone don’t automatically qualify to be the person’s 

representative payee.

If a person getting SSI dies

If someone getting SSI dies, you should tell us. If there’s 

a surviving spouse who is getting SSI, the amount may be 

changed.

Any SSI payments sent after the month of death, or any 

payments deposited after death, aren’t due and must be 

returned.

If a person’s SSI was being deposited directly into an 

account in a bank, the bank also should be told of the 

person’s death. The bank will return the money to us. 

Any amount sent to the account of a deceased recipient 

should not be withdrawn.

If an SSI recipient has a representative payee, and the 

payee dies, you should tell us.

If your immigration status changes

Let us know if your immigration status changes. Your 

immigration status may affect whether you can get SSI. In 

general, if you become a U.S. citizen, you still can get SSI 

as long as you meet the other SSI requirements.

For more information, read Supplemental Security Income 

(SSI) for Noncitizens (Publication No. 05-11051).
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Special rules for people in some states

If you live in one of the following states, there are some 

other things you must report to us:

• California — Let us know if you regularly ate your 

meals away from home and now eat at home. Also, let 

us know if you regularly ate at home and now eat out.

• Hawaii, Michigan, or Vermont — Tell us if you live in 

a facility that provides different levels of care and the 

level of care you get changes. For example, you move 

from assisted living to a nursing home.

If you get better

If you get SSI because of a disability or blindness, you 

must tell us if your medical condition improves. If you no 

longer have a disability, your SSI will stop after a short 

adjustment period.

Things you should know if you get SSI 

because you have a disability

Reviewing your medical condition

Anyone receiving SSI because they have a disability must 

have their medical condition reviewed from time to time. 

Your SSI will continue unless there is evidence that your 

condition has improved and that you are able to return 

to work.

Frequency of reviews

How often your medical condition is reviewed depends 

on how severe it is and the likelihood it will improve. 

Your award notice tells you when you can expect your 

1st review.

• Medical improvement expected — If your condition 

is expected to improve within a specific time, your 

1st review will be 6 to 18 months after you started 

receiving SSI.
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• Improvement possible — If improvement in your 

medical condition is possible, your case will be 

reviewed about every 3 years.

• Improvement not expected — If your medical condition 

is unlikely to improve, your case will be reviewed only 

about once every 5 to 7 years.

What happens during a review?

We will send you a letter telling you that we’re conducting 

a review. Soon after that, someone from your local Social 

Security office will contact you to explain the review 

process and your appeal rights. The representative 

will ask you to provide information about your medical 

treatment and any work that you have done.

A team consisting of a disability examiner and a doctor 

will review your file and request your medical reports. You 

may need to have a special examination before we can 

decide if you still have a qualifying disability. We’ll pay for 

the examination and some of your transportation costs.

When a decision is made, we’ll send you a letter. If we decide 

that you’re still eligible to receive SSI, your SSI will continue.

If we decide you’re no longer eligible for SSI, and you 

disagree, you can file an appeal. For more information, go 

online to read Your Right to Question the Decision Made 

on Your Claim (Publication No. 05-10058).

Rules to help you work and keep your SSI

Tell us right away if you go to work — no matter how 

little you earn. There are special SSI rules to help you 

work. Your SSI may continue while you work if you still 

have a disability. As your earnings go up, the amount of 

your SSI will go down and eventually may stop. Even if 

your SSI stops, you may be able to keep your Medicaid 

coverage. Medicaid coverage may continue if you depend 

on it to work and you don’t earn enough to pay for similar 

medical care.
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Tell us if you have any special work expenses for items 

and services you need to work. Some examples are a 

wheelchair, copayments on medications, attendant care 

services, Braille devices, certain drugs, and medical 

services. The earnings you use to pay for these expenses 

don’t count as income, so they won’t lower the amount 

of your SSI. You should keep receipts for any work 

expenses related to your disability and tell us if your 

special work expenses change.

If you work or would like to work and have income other 

than SSI or resources above the limit, you may be able 

to have a Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS). A PASS 

allows you to work toward a career goal. It helps you pay 

for college, vocational training, work-related equipment, 

transportation to work, or starting a business. Having a 

PASS usually means you can keep more of your SSI, 

because the money you set aside won’t lower your 

SSI amount. As your earnings and resources increase, 

developing a plan becomes more important. For more 

information, go online for Working While Disabled — 

A Guide to Plan to Achieve Self-Support (Publication 

No. 05-11017).

Your SSI payments may stop because you have a job. If 

at some point in the next 6 years your disability forces you 

to quit working, you can begin receiving SSI again without 

filing a new application.

You can get more information about all the special rules 

to help you work by calling us at 1-800-772-1213 or 

by visiting our website www.ssa.gov/work. Read our 

publications Working While Disabled — How We Can 

Help (Publication No. 05-10095) and Your Ticket to Work 

(Publication No. 05-10061).

More detailed information about work incentives can be 

found in our Red Book (Publication No. 64-030).
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Ticket to Work is a free and voluntary program that can 

help Social Security beneficiaries go to work while keeping 

their Medicare or Medicaid. People who receive Social 

Security benefits because of a disability and are age 18 

through 64 may already be eligible for the program. You 

can find more information at www.ssa.gov/work.

Our Work Incentive Planning and Assistance Projects 

(WIPAs) help beneficiaries with disabilities make informed 

choices about work. They support working beneficiaries 

in making a successful transition to self-sufficiency. 

Each WIPA project has Community Work Incentives 

Coordinators who provide in-depth counseling about 

benefits and the effect of work on those benefits. Find 

your local WIPA at choosework.ssa.gov/findhelp.

How and when to report changes

You can report changes by calling us toll-free at 

1-800-772-1213. If you’re deaf or hard-of-hearing, you 

may call our TTY number, 1-800-325-0778. When you 

call, please have your Social Security number (SSN) 

handy. You can also report changes by mail or in person. 

If you send us a letter, it needs to show all of these things:

• The name of the person for whom you are reporting 

the change.

• The SSN of the person who gets SSI.

• The change being reported.

• The date the change happened.

• Your signature, address, and phone number.

When to report a change

You must report a change within 10 days after the 

month it happens. You should report a change even if 

you’re late.
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If you don’t report a change, you may miss out on money 

you need if the change means you should receive a 

greater amount. Or, you may get too much money and 

have to pay it back.

If you don’t report a change, or if you make a false 

statement, and get money that you are not due, we will 

require that you pay back that amount. It can also result in 

a fine, penalty, or imprisonment.

Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Account

An Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) account is 

a tax-advantaged savings account for an individual with a 

disability. You can use an ABLE account to save funds for 

many disability-related expenses. Anyone, including the 

account owner, family, and friends can contribute to the 

ABLE account. The account owner of an ABLE account 

must meet one of the following:

• Be receiving SSI based on disability or blindness that 

began before age 26.

• Be in SSI suspense due solely to excess income or 

resources and otherwise be eligible for SSI based on 

disability or blindness that began before age 26.

• Be receiving disability insurance benefits, childhood 

disability benefits, or surviving spouse’s benefits based 

on disability or blindness that occurred before age 26.

• Have a certification that disability or blindness occurred 

before age 26.

• Have conditions on Social Security’s “List of 

Compassionate Allowances Conditions” which are 

deemed to meet the requirements for a disability 

certification if the condition was present and produced 

marked and severe functional limitations before the 

date on which the individual attained age 26.
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The money that you have in your ABLE account (up to 

and including $100,000) does not count as a resource 

under SSI rules. You can use money in an ABLE account 

to pay for certain qualified disability expenses, such as 

those for education, housing, transportation, employment 

training, employment support, assistive technology, and 

related services.

To learn more about ABLE accounts, please visit the 

Internal Revenue Service’s website at www.irs.gov/

government-entities/federal-state-local-governments/

able-accounts-tax-benefit-for-people-with-disabilities.

Please note: Social Security provides this section 

as a courtesy to help notify you of ABLE accounts. 

However, Social Security is not affiliated with and does 

not endorse any ABLE account provider or its services.

Other things you should know

How we will contact you

We generally mail a letter or notice when we want to contact 

you, but sometimes a Social Security representative may 

come to your home or call you. Our representative will show 

identification to you before talking about your benefits. If you 

ever doubt someone who says they are from Social Security, 

call the Social Security office to ask if someone was sent 

to see you. If you receive a suspicious call from someone 

alleging to be from Social Security, hang up, and then report 

details of the call to the Office of the Inspector General 

at 1-800-269-0271 or online at oig.ssa.gov/report. Our 

employees will never ask you for money to have something 

done. Helping you is our job.

Free Social Security services

Some businesses advertise that they can provide name 

changes or Social Security cards for a fee. We provide all 

of these services for free, so don’t pay for them. Call us or 

visit our website first.
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Online my Social Security account

You can easily set up a secure online my Social Security

account. You can use your personal my Social Security

account to request a benefit verification letter, access your 

Social Security Statement, check your earnings, and get 

your benefit estimates.

You can create your personal my Social Security

account if you’re age 18 or older, have an SSN and 

a valid email address. To create an account, go to 

www.ssa.gov/myaccount.

Social services

People who get SSI may also be able to receive social 

services from the state where they live. These services 

include free meals, housekeeping help, transportation, or 

help with other problems.

You can get information about services in your area from 

your state or local social services or welfare office.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program 

(SNAP) benefits

People who get SSI may be able to get help to buy food 

through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program 

(SNAP), formerly known as food stamps. If everyone in your 

home is applying for or getting SSI, we will help you fill out 

the SNAP application and send it to the SNAP office for you.

People who don’t live in a home where everyone is applying 

for or getting SSI must take or send their applications to the 

local SNAP office. To find your local SNAP office or to apply 

online, visit: www.fns.usda.gov/snap/state-directory. You 

can also call the SNAP information line at 1-800-221-5689. 

For more information, about SNAP, read Supplemental 

Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Facts (Publication 

No. 05-10101). For more information about other nutrition 

assistance programs that may be available to you, read 

Nutrition Assistance Programs (Publication No. 05-10100).
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A special note for people with Medicare

If you have low income and few resources, your state may 

pay your Medicare premiums and, in some cases, other 

Medicare expenses such as deductibles and coinsurance. 

Only your state can decide if you are eligible. To find 

out if you are, contact your state Medical Assistance 

(Medicaid) office.

“Extra Help” with Medicare prescription costs

If you have limited income and resources, you 

may be eligible for Extra Help to pay for your 

prescription drug costs under Medicare Part D. Our 

responsibility is to help you understand how you 

may be eligible and to process your application for 

Extra Help. To see if you are eligible or to apply, visit 

www.ssa.gov/medicare/part-d-extra-help. You can call 

our toll-free number to apply over the phone or request an 

application.

A special note for people who get SSI because 

they’re blind

You can choose how you receive notices from us. Please 

let us know which one you prefer:

• Standard print notice by first-class mail.

• Standard print notice by certified mail.

• Standard print notice by first-class mail and a follow-up 

phone call.

• Braille notice and a standard print notice by first-class mail.

• Microsoft Word file on a data compact disc (CD) and a 

standard print notice by first-class mail.

• Audio CD and a standard print notice by first-class mail

• Large print (18-point size) notice and a standard print 

notice by first-class mail.
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To select or change the way you wish to receive 

information from us:

• Go to your personal my Social Security account at 

www.ssa.gov/myaccount.

• Call us toll-free at 1-800-772-1213, or at our TTY number, 

1-800-325-0778, if you’re deaf or hard of hearing.

• Write, or visit, your local office.

If we’re unable to approve your request, we’ll send the reason 

to you in writing and tell you how to appeal the decision. Visit 

www.ssa.gov/people/blind for more information.

If you have a question about a Social Security notice, 

you may call us toll-free at 1-800-772-1213 to ask for the 

notice to be read or explained to you.

Protection of your personal information

You should keep your Social Security card in a safe place 

with your other important papers. Don’t carry it with you 

unless you need to show it to an employer or service 

provider.

We keep personal and confidential information — names, 

SSNs, earnings records, ages, and beneficiary addresses 

— for millions of people. Generally, we’ll discuss your 

information only with you. When you contact us, we’ll ask 

you several questions to help us verify your identity. If 

you want someone else to help with your Social Security 

business, we need your permission to discuss your 

information with that person.

We urge you to be careful with your SSN and to protect it 

whenever possible.

We are committed to protecting the privacy of your records. 

Sometimes we’re required by law to give information to 

other government agencies that administer health or welfare 

programs, such as Medicaid and SNAP. These agencies 

aren’t allowed to share that information with anyone else.
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Contacting Us 

The most convenient way to do business with us is to 

visit www.ssa.gov to get information and use our online 

services. There are several things you can do online: 

apply for benefits; start or complete your request for 

an original or replacement Social Security card; get 

useful information; find publications; and get answers to 

frequently asked questions. 

When you open a personal my Social Security account, 

you have more capabilities. You can review your Social 

Security Statement, verify your earnings, and get 

estimates of future benefits. You can also print a benefit 

verification letter, change your direct deposit information 

(Social Security beneficiaries only), and get a replacement 

SSA-1099/1042S. If you live outside the United States, 

visit www.ssa.gov/foreign to access our online services.

If you don’t have access to the internet, we offer many 

automated services by telephone, 24 hours a day, 7 

days a week, so you may not need to speak with a 

representative. 

If you need to speak with someone, call us toll-free at 

1-800-772-1213 or at our TTY number, 1-800-325-0778, 

if you’re deaf or hard of hearing. A member of our staff 

can answer your call from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday 

through Friday. We provide free interpreter services upon 

request. For quicker access to a representative, try calling 

early in the day (between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. local time) 

or later in the day. We are less busy later in the week 

(Wednesday to Friday) and later in the month.

Social Security Administration | Publication No. 05-11011

March 2024 (Recycle prior editions)

What You Need to Know When You Get Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

Produced and published at U.S. taxpayer expense