SSI Identification

• The Supplemental Security Income, like the Social Security Disability program, is a program that pays monthly benefits to eligible U.S. citizens. Part of general revenue taxes that the government collects in a year are destined to support and fund this program that pays benefits to many Americans throughout the country. This program focuses on people who are older than 65 years of age or who have a debilitating condition. According to studies made by the Social Security Administration, workers who are 20 years old or older have a 3 in 10 chance of becoming disabled before retirement age.
  
  

SSI Benefit Amounts

• The amount of benefits that the Social Security Administration pays an eligible citizen varies according whether you are single or married. As of 2011, if you are single and eligible to receive benefits, the monthly maximum amount that the Supplemental Security Income program pays you is $674. If you are married, and you and your wife are eligible to receive SSI benefits, the maximum monthly amount that the government pays you is going to be $1,011.
  
  

SSI Payments

• The amount of SSI benefits you receive every month can actually change from month to month and from person to person, always limited by the maximum benefit mentioned above. These changes in payments are due to changes you might have in your work-related income. As your income increases, your benefits decrease. The opposite is also true: as your income decreases, your benefits increase up to the maximum monthly amount. Your monthly payments might be reduced by subtracting your countable income for the month. Countable income is your income after eliminating any item from your monthly earnings that is not income and after eliminating exclusions that apply to what it is considered income. For this purpose, income is anything that helps to pay for food, clothing and shelter.
  
  

Figuring Out SSI Payments

• According to SSA Publication No. 05-11011, your payments vary according to your income from the previous month. For example, if your total income, including SSI benefits, is usually $800 per month, out of which $300 are for SSI benefits, but in August you happen to have $900 in income, your SSI benefits for September are reduced by $100. However, if your income goes back to $800 per month, in October you will receive the $100 back.