By: Amy C. O’Hara, Esq., Littman Krooks LLP

Earlier this month, Congress reintroduced the Supplemental Security Income Restoration Act (H.R.3763). The proposed bill provides significant and long overdue improvements to the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program including increasing the general income disregard from $20 per month to $123 per month, adjusting the earned income disregard to $399 per month (currently $65 and one-half of gross earnings), and increasing the $2,000 resource limit to $10,000. Congress has not adjusted these limits in many years.

In addition, the proposed Act repeals the Social Security Administration’s in-kind support and maintenance (ISM) rules for SSI recipients. ISM is unearned income provided to an SSI recipient in the form of food and shelter. If an individual or trust pays for or provides an SSI recipient with food or shelter, their SSI is reduced by one-third.

Other improvements include repealing the penalties for resource transfers and marriage.

New York Congressional Representatives Jamaal Bowman and Adriano Espaillat have co-sponsored the bill.  If you are in support of Supplemental Security Income Restoration Act, or have other comments, please contact your members of Congress.

If you would like to discuss SSI or any other government benefit program for yourself or a loved one, please contact us.