How to Survive on SSI

Art: Robin Mead

Welcome. This page is about SSI. If you are on SSDI, do not read this page, or you will give yourself a million headaches for no reason. How to Tell What You’re On

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FINANCIAL SURVIVAL

Housing

💮 Many people find that the main key to being on SSI and staying (mostly) alive is to find subsidized housing. Here’s a good way to get started looking: How to Find Open Waiting Lists the Easy Way

💮 According to the SSI regulations, if you get free or discounted rent from another person, this lowers your disability check, but if you get free or discounted rent from a government program, your disability check will not be affected.

Section 8 Housing 

💮 Section 8 housing is a particularly good match for people on SSI because rent is income-based. Do not listen to anyone who tells you that Section 8 is impossible to get or all Section 8 takes forever or that all Section 8 housing is crappy. Not true. Not true. And also, not true! Here’s what is true: Section 8 Guide for the Disabled and Plucky

💮 If you think that all Section 8 housing is terrible, don’t be so sure: Can Affordable Housing Be Nice? (See for yourself)

💮 Example: If SSI is your only income, rent for an apartment will usually be a little over $200 per month. If utilities are not included in the rent, then rent will be approximately $100 per month. Number of bedrooms does not change amount of rent.

Food

💮 If your food stamps are low or you were turned down for food stamps, please try learning some of the food stamps regulations for people with disabilities.

💮 In most states, maximum food stamps is roughly $200 for one person and $400 for two people.

💮 Food stamps and food banks and food through government programs do not affect your SSI check.

Life

💮 Here is a long list of more ways to make life more affordable if you are low income and disabled: How to Be Poor in America

Home Aides

💮 If you are unable to care for yourself, in some situations, you may be eligible to apply for a program that supplies home aides, or that pays a small salary to the person who is currently caring for you (in many states, a spouse is not allowed, but other family members are allowed)

💮 In most states, this program is only for people with very severe care needs (it doesn’t not matter what your diagnosis is), and this program is designed to help keep people out of nursing homes.

💮 If you are on SSI and approved for a state home aide program, the services will be free: How to Apply for a State Home Aide Program

Your SSI Check

💮 Maximum SSI is between $770-$930 depending on your state.

💮 If your check is below maximum and you do not know why, it may help to take a look here: Ten Common Reasons an SSI Check May Be Low.

💮 The most common reason for a low SSI check is because someone does not know the rules for: Rules for rent, food, mortgage and utilities.

💮 If you first became disabled before the age of 22 take a look here: How to Get Disabled Adult Child Benefits. Does not matter what age you are now.

💮 If you are a widow, or ex-widow, starting at age 50, you may be eligible for Social Security survivor’s benefits (starts at age 50 for disabled people – age 60 for everyone else).

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NAVIGATING SOCIAL SECURITY

Everything

Everything you need to know and want to know. Plus everything you need to know and don’t want to know: Everything No One Ever Tells You About Living on Disability

Interviews

💮 From time to time, you will be contacted for an SSI financial interview. This may also be called PERC. Here’s How to Handle an SSI Interview

Reporting

💮 Please report right away if any of these things happen. Report by certified mail or by going to the office and getting a stamped receipt. There is also an app you can use to report income from working.

• If you receive any cash or money
• If you have a change of income or assets
• If you start or stop getting free rent
• If someone else pays your food, rent or utilities
• If you live with a spouse and have more children

💮 There are a few other things you want to report that may cause your check to go up or down: What Do I Need to Report to Social Security?

What’s What? 

💮  If you are feeling confused or you are being told conflicting information, there’s a very good chance this is happening because someone is mixing up the resource room with the income rules. Totally different rules! How to Tell the Difference Between the Income and Resource Rules

💮 It’s also possible someone is mixing up the SSI rules with the SSDI rules. Also totally different rules! How to Tell Understand the Difference Between SSI and SSDI

Finding Information

💮 Unfortunately, many many people are told the wrong information about SSI when they call or visit Social Security. The best thing to do is only follow what you can see written on the Social Security website or written in the Social Security policy manual.

💮 You can also call and ask for the name and contact information for your SSI worker. Talk directly to that person only. If you have a question about SSI financial policies, whatever you do never ask questions to the person who answers the phone.

💮 If you have more questions, or run into a problem, check out: How to Solve Your Social Security Problems

💮 Social Security does not tell you all the regulations. Then if you break a regulation without realizing it, you may owe money back. Please learn the regulations for yourself. A long list of regulations can be found here: How to Stay Out of Hot Water with SSI

💮 A few common regulations that may be helpful:

• I’m On SSI. Can Someone Else Pay My Bills?
• I’m on SSI. Can someone give me a gift?
• I’m on SSI. Can I Start an Online Fundraiser?
• How Does Working Affect My Disability Check?
• How to Work Without (Too Much) Trouble
• How Does My Love Life Affect My Disability Check?
• How Can I Save Money Without Losing SSI?
• How Does Income Affect SSI?
• How You Can (and can’t) Receive Money While on SSI
• How To Respond When Social Security Tells You That You Owe Money
• How to Handle If You Are Over the SSI Resource Limit
• What’s The SSI Resource Limit.

Success!

💮 Reports from readers who made it work on SSI. Here’s how they did it: “How I Get By On SSI”

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Updated April 2019. Please comment below with stories, ideas, questions or suggestions. Please let us know if any links on this page stop working. If you found this page helpful, please share it with others by pressing one of these magic little buttons: