THE Social Security Administration may soon implement a rule change that would reduce or eliminate benefits for almost 400,000 needy seniors and individuals with disabilities.
The new rule, spearheaded by the Trump administration, would change how support from the family and friends of Supplemental Security Income beneficiaries is treated.
Hundreds of thousands of seniors and disabled Americans may see their SSI benefits slashed[/caption]
The Trump administration is looking to roll out a rule that would slash Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, benefits and disqualify hundreds of thousands of cash-strapped seniors and individuals with severe disabilities.
If passed, the rule would impact approximately 400,000 SSI recipients living with family or friends undergoing their own financial hardships, per the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
These Americans would likely see their benefits reduced by hundreds of dollars each month or even lose eligibility for the program.
Additionally, the rule would make it tougher for eligible Americans to receive and keep their SSI benefits and create more work for the SSA’s already reduced and overworked employees.
HELPING HAND
Disabled Americans or seniors with a low-income who are on SSI benefits currently may see their monthly checks reduced by up to one-third, or roughly $300 per month, if they receive “in-kind support and maintenance,” such as living with family or friends.
The SSA may also reduce the monthly payments of SSI beneficiaries based on their parents’ income if they are under 18 or their spouse’s income, under the assumption that they will contribute to the beneficiary’s living costs.
Disability stats
- 13.9% of US adults have a cognition disability with serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.
- 12.2% of US adults have a mobility disability with serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.
- 7.7% of US adults have an independent living disability with difficulty doing errands alone.
- 6.2% of US adults are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing.
- 5.5% of US adults have a vision disability with blindness or serious difficulty seeing even when wearing glasses.
- 3.6% of US adults have a self-care disability with difficulty dressing or bathing.
Source: CDC
However, SSI recipients living in a household that receives public assistance such as benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, are exempt from these reductions.
This is because households that qualify for such benefits are classified as unable to financially support SSI recipients.
The public assistance household rule aids families in supporting their elderly or disabled relatives and reduces the likelihood of homelessness or the need for institutional care.
However, the Trump administration is seeking to undo this rule, removing SNAP participation as a way to qualify as a public assistance household.
GONE IN A SNAP
Last year, the SSA finalized an update to the public assistance household rule, including SNAP on the list of programs indicating a family’s challenge affording everyday expenses.
The anticipated change under the Trump administration would mean that being on food stamps would no longer suffice to qualify a family as a “public assistance household.”
SNAP beneficiaries would then be subject to the “in-kind support and maintenance” penalty.
The rule switch-up would cast aside the fact that households receiving SNAP have very meager incomes.
What are SNAP benefits?
Over 41 million people in America receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits each month.
SNAP provides food benefits to low-income households to help people get groceries.
Recipients get money on a debit card that can be used at grocery stores and farmers markets.
The amount of money distributed depends on several factors including how much money you make, how much money you receive from other benefits, and how many people are in your household.
The electronic benefits can help people buy food including food and vegetables, meat, fish, dairy products, breads, cereals, and snacks.
You can’t use SNAP to buy alcohol, cigarettes, hot foods, or cooking utensils.
Source: USDA
The average SNAP household with multiple people and at least one member receiving SSI has an annual income of around $17,000 – far under the poverty line.
MORE HARM THAN GOOD?
The benefit cuts under Trump’s rule change would negatively impact hundreds of thousands of low-income families living with seniors or disabled individuals.
Eliminating food stamps as a qualifying form of public assistance would likely see more than 275,000 Americans have their benefits reduced, per a 2024 analysis by the SSA.
Additionally, over 100,000 more beneficiaries would lose their eligibility for SSI.
What is SSI?
Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, is a crucial government-run disability program, offering payments to Americans with disabilities who have limited income and resources.
Unlike SSDI, SSI is based on one’s financial need rather than their work history.
SSI benefits are available to those who are disabled, blind, or aged 65 or older and have very limited financial means.
This can include people who have never worked or have not worked enough to qualify for SSDI, such as those disabled from a young age or stay-at-home parents.
The maximum monthly SSI benefit in 2025 is $967 for individuals – up from $943 last year thanks to COLA – and $1,450 for couples.
Those who are eligible can receive both disability and SSI benefits at the same time, which can occur if you are eligible for SSDI but your monthly benefit amount is very low.
Beyond just the loss of benefits and eligibility, the impending rule change could create a dilemma for SSI recipients and their loved ones.
It may deter families from extending a helping hand to their loved ones on SSI for fear of risking their benefits.
The rule change could also push more beneficiaries to turn to institutional care because they are unable to afford living in the community.
Other switch-ups are underway at the SSA, including Social Security bosses backtracking after issuing an August 18 deadline for recipients of a check worth $5,108.
Meanwhile, the agency’s plan to “save the benefits” was announced as millions of Americans are set to see the funds run out.
