SSI: Eligibility: Income Requirements

To calculate countable Earned Income, SSI starts with earnings, then excludes certain amounts. What is left after deducting permitted exclusions from earnings is countable against the SSI benefits which would have been paid if there were no countable income.

Earnings: For SSI purposes, earnings include the following: 

• Everything you earn as wages or from self employment including salaries, commissions, bonuses, severance pay, and any other special payments you receive for our employment.
• Royalties on published works.
• Net earnings from self employment (including your share of profit or loss in any partnership to which you belong).
• Refunds of federal income taxes and advance payments by employers made in accordance with the earned-income-credit provisions of the IRS.
• Payments for services provided in a sheltered workshop or work activities center designed to help you become self-supporting.

Exclusions: For purposes of determining earnings, SSI does not count the following:

• $65 [or $85 if no unearned income has been counted (see below)].
• One half of the remainder.
• If you are disabled but work, Social Security does not count any wages used to pay for items or services you need to work because of your disability. For example,if you need a wheelchair in order to work, the wages you use to pay for the wheelchair don't count as income. To learn more, see: Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE).
• Income set aside for a PASS account. (To learn about PASS accounts, see: PASS).
• For SSI recipients who are under age 18 and students under age 22, earned wages in 2013 up to $1,730 per month to a maximum of $6,960 per year. 

A Sample Calculation Of Earnings For SSI Purposes

For example, Michael R. has gross wages of $800 per month in 2013 and no unearned or deemed income.

• From $800, subtract $85 (earned and unearned disregards) = $715.
• Divide $715 by 2 = $357.50. $357.50 = Michael's countable income.
• MIchael's countable income is then deducted from the benefit otherwise payable.

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