Get Latest WorkWORLD

SSI Earned Income Exclusion

If you are a recipient of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and you go to work, then SSA does not count the first $65 per month of your earnings and 1/2 of the remainder when determining whether and how much your SSI cash benefit should be reduced. This $65 plus 1/2 of the remainder is called an "Earned Income Exclusion". This means that SSA counts less than 1/2 of your earnings when figuring your SSI cash benefit amount.

If you have no unearned income, then $20 per month is also excluded from your earned income before subtracting 1/2 of the remainder. This $20 is called a "General Income Exclusion". (If you do have unearned income, the $20 is subtracted from that amount to determine how much your cash benefit is reduced because of your unearned income. If your unearned income is less than $20, then the amount of your General Income Exclusion that is left over is subtracted from your earned income prior to subtracting 1/2 of the remainder.)

This Earned Income Exclusion is one of the SSI Work Incentives.

NOTE: In the 2001 version of its "Red Book," the Social Security Administration (SSA) began using the term "Employment Supports" in place of "Work Incentives." See the SSA Red Book topic for additional information. The latest version of SSA's Red Book on Employment Support is available at: http://www.socialsecurity.gov/redbook/

See Also:

Work Incentives Overview

WorkWORLD™ Help/Information System

   Share/Save: Click the button or link at left to select your favorite bookmark service and add this page.

This is one topic from the thousands available in the WorkWORLD™ software Help/Information System.
Complete information about the software is available at: http://www.WorkWORLD.org