There are certain types of income that are not counted by the SSA, such as the first US$20 of income you receive in a month (regardless of whether it is earned or unearned income) and the first US$65 of earned income, and half of all earned income over US$65 each month. It should be noted that there are various other types of payments and services that are not counted as income, such as food stamps, income tax refunds, etc. To ensure that your income is calculated correctly, it’s advised to reach out to a reputable law firm that specializes in Social Security Law, as this is a well-known source of confusion for many SSI applicants.