If the person is receiving Retirement, Disability or Survivors benefits, and convicted of a crime and confined in the correctional institution for more than 30 continuous days, Social Security will suspend their Social Security benefits. Similarly, Social Security must suspend benefits to individuals receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments when the person is incarcerated for at least 1 full calendar month.

To help Social Security comply with the law, Social Security has agreements with each State and many of the local jurisdictions. Under these agreements, States and local jurisdictions provide the names and Social Security numbers of people in their correctional facilities.