Personal Finance & Estate › Social Security › Social Security (OASDI)
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
Since 1974· Government program
Law or rule (2026)Set by statute, regulation or the agency; numbers change yearly.
A federal cash benefit for people who are 65+, blind or disabled with very little income and savings, run by SSA but tax-funded.
See it on the Personal Finance & Estate map →How it works
SSI began in January 1974, replacing state welfare programs for aged, blind and disabled people. It needs no work history and is paid from general tax revenue, not payroll taxes. The 2026 federal maximum is $994 a month for one person and $1,491 for a couple; California adds a state supplement. Savings must stay under $2,000 ($3,000 for couples), a limit unchanged since 1989. An outright inheritance can end eligibility; a special-needs trust avoids that.
Why it matters for you
It is the income floor for the poorest older and disabled Americans, and in California it automatically brings Medi-Cal health coverage too.
Rules, limits and sources (2026)
Title XVI of the Social Security Act, enacted in 1972; SSA's annual SSI reports and the federal benefit rates it publishes each fall.
Watch out for
Whether the $2,000 asset limit, frozen since 1989, should rise is debated in Congress; bills to raise it have not passed. An elder-law attorney can advise on trusts.
Connections (3)
▸Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is the needs-based sibling of Social Security (OASDI)Law or rule (2026)
How they connect
SSI is run by the Social Security Administration and uses the same offices and disability rules, but it is a separate needs-based program paid from general taxes, not from work history. Many people receive both a small Social Security check and SSI.
When it applies
Created by the 1972 amendments and launched in January 1974, folding state programs for aged, blind and disabled people into one federal benefit.
The rule
Title XVI of the Social Security Act; SSA's annual SSI reports keep it separate from the payroll-funded trust funds.
Watch out for
Advocates and lawmakers debate whether asset limits and rules on family help are too strict, but changes have stalled.
▸Supplemental Security Income (SSI) usually qualifies people for Medi-Cal (California's Medicaid)Law or rule (2026)
How they connect
In California, getting SSI automatically brings full Medi-Cal, with no separate application. That link often matters more than the cash itself, because it opens doctor, hospital and long-term care coverage.
When it applies
California chose this automatic link when SSI began in 1974; most states do the same.
The rule
DHCS eligibility rules list SSI/SSP recipients as automatically eligible, and county offices confirm it.
Watch out for
People who lose SSI because a Social Security raise pushed their income over the limit may keep Medi-Cal under special rules; edge cases need a benefits counselor.
▸Special-needs trust preserves eligibility for Supplemental Security Income (SSI)Law or rule (2026)
How they connect
SSI is needs-based: more than $2,000 in countable assets, or cash given directly, can reduce or end the check, and the Medi-Cal that comes with it. Because a properly drafted special-needs trust isn't the beneficiary's asset, it can pay for extras while SSI continues.
When it applies
Used by families of disabled children and adults on SSI; trustees must report certain payments to SSA.
The rule
SSA's POMS section SI 01120 sets trust rules; SSI's $2,000 individual asset limit has not changed since 1989.
Watch out for
Payments for rent or utilities can still cut SSI, by up to about a third; trustees weigh that trade-off case by case.