SSI and When You Get Any Free Food or Shelter (Living Arrangements and In-Kind Support and Maintenan

Supplemental Social Security Income (SSI) is income based. In general you can only earn and/or have in savings of a very little amount before your monthly check off approximately approximately $783 will be reduced. If you are getting free room and board of any type you might have your check reduced by one-third. Many people who get a backpay check when they first become eligible are surprised to find this out. This can get to be a very complicated and nuanced area. Most of the field offices get it right. Sometimes they do not. Without getting into too much of the more complicated issues here is the general rule.

Types of Free Food and Shelter that Should NOT Affect Your Check Amount

SNAP Benefits/Food Stamps

Section 8/HUD/Housng Authority Housing

Food or Shelter Provided by Any Government, Medical, Social Service Agency or Nonprofit Based Upon Need

Living as a Transiet, Homeless, Couch Surfing

Living in a Home Where You Are the Owner or Part Owner

Types of Free Food and Sheter that MIGHT Affect Your Check Amount

Cash from Family or Freinds (unless a bona fide loan)

Living in the Household of Another (don't have ownership interest may or may not be responsible fore rent)

Living in the Household of a Family Member

Rent liability inccured to a landlord

IMPORTANT NOTE: I say "MIGHT" affect because thre are certain circumstances where it shouldn't. This is the more nuanced area where there can confusion even within Social Security. I will blog about this seperately or you can look up the citation at the top of this entry.