You may be able to receive SSI in addition to monthly Social Security benefits, if your Social Security benefit is low enough to qualify.
The amount of your SSI benefit depends on where you live. The basic SSI check is the same nationwide. Effective January 2007, the SSI payment for an eligible individual is $623 per month and $934 per month for an eligible couple. However, many states add money to the basic check.
Following is a list of some States that supplement the basic SSI amount with a link to more information about that State:
If you get SSI, you also may be able to get other help from your state or county. For example, you may be able to get Medicaid, food stamps, or some other social services. For information about all the services available in your community, call your local social services department or public welfare office.
For more information, you should read Social Security pamphlet "Supplemental Security Income".
You should call the Social Security Administration’s toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213, to find out if you might be eligible for SSI in your state.
What income does Social Security count toward the earnings test limit?
For purposes of determining whether Social Security benefits are payable, a person's earnings for a taxable year are the sum of pay for services as an employee plus all net earnings from self-employment (minus any net loss from self-employment) for that year.
Wages for Social Security purposes are gross wages - wages before any payroll deductions for income tax, Social Security tax, dues, insurance, or other deductions by the employer. Social Security uses gross wages as the basis for Social Security credit and for determining whether benefits must be withheld because of earnings.
Nonwork sources of income, such as:
- inheritance payments,
- pensions,
- income from investments,
- IRA distributions,
- interest, or
- other sources;
do not count as wages for the earnings test. The Social Security retirement program insures against loss of earnings from work and not against the failure to have investment income.
More information may be found in the Social Security Administration’s publication called "How Work Affects Your Benefits," publication number 05-10069, which is available on the Internet at: http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10069.html
Employers sometimes make payments to employees during periods of absence from work (e.g., vacation pay, sick pay, etc.); make current payment for work previously done (e.g., deferred payments); or make extra payments as a reward for good work (e.g., bonuses). These are generally referred to as a Special Wage Payment (SWP). Usually, those payments will not affect your Social Security benefit if the Social Security Administration knows they are compensation for work done before you retired.
For more information on Special Wage Payments, see the Social Security Administration’s publication, "Special Payments After Retirement" at http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10063.html
