Act Now to Break the Cycle of Poverty for SSI Recipients and End the Marriage Penalty!

The SSI Asset Limit

Millions of low-income people with disabilities and older adults receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) each month. For these recipients, SSI is a modest but vital source of income. However, people with disabilities and older adults who receive SSI are trapped in a cycle of enforced poverty. To get SSI, a person can’t have more than $2,000 total in savings and other valuable things. Almost everything they own is added up, including 401K and retirement savings, and with a few exceptions including personal belongings. If the total value is over $2,000, they no longer qualify for SSI.

If someone works part-time or off and on, the money they earn plus their SSI benefits can add up over time to easily put them over the asset limit and exclude them from the SSI program. All of this disincentivizes working, saving money, and planning for retirement.

The SSI Marriage Penalty

If two people who both receive SSI get married, they are not each allowed to have $2,000 in savings and assets; they are only allowed to have $3,000 between them. This is known as the “marriage penalty,” because it greatly discourages many couples who receive SSI from getting married.

SSI Asset Caps and Medicaid

Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS), like help with daily tasks and personal care, are essential for many people with disabilities. These services aren’t usually covered by private insurance for disabled people in the U.S., so Medicaid is often the only way to get them.

Many people with disabilities qualify for Medicaid by receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI). But because of the SSI asset caps, a person can’t have more than $2,000 in savings or other assets. This outdated limit means people may have to give up saving money or working just to keep the basic care they need to live safely in their communities.

Raising the SSI asset limit is critical so people with disabilities don’t have to choose between financial independence and access to life-sustaining care.

The SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act

The SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act would increase the SSI asset limits from $2,000 to $10,000 for unmarried individuals and eliminate the marriage penalty by allowing two SSI recipients to get married and have up to $20,000 in assets as a couple. The bill would also require asset limits to be adjusted yearly to keep up with the cost of living.

Take action by urging Congress to reintroduce and pass the SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act, which will promote economic independence, access to care services and marriage equality!

How can you help?

In our efforts to ensure that this bill passes through Congress, please contact your Senators and your Member of the House of Representatives to encourage them to sponsor the SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act. Every call and every voice make a difference!

You can call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 to be connected to your two Senators or Member of the House of Representatives, or you can use the links below to find their contact information.