What is Supplemental Security Income (SSI)?
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a federal income assistance program in California designed to help elderly, blind, and disabled people who have limited income and resources. It is administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA) and funded by general tax revenues. To be eligible for SSI, a person must meet certain age, citizenship, and disability criteria. Individuals who are at least 65 years of age, blind, and disabled, or considered disabled because of a severe medical condition are eligible for the program. Additionally, they must have limited income and resources. SSI is intended to provide additional income to supplement, not replace, other income. In California, the maximum amount an individual can receive from SSI is $10,211 a year. This amount is subject to an annual cost-of-living adjustment. SSI is not the same as Social Security Disability Insurance benefits, which are made available to individuals who have worked long enough, and recently enough, to be covered by Social Security. SSI benefits are a form of need-based assistance, made available to those individuals who have never worked or have insufficient earnings records to qualify for Social Security.
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