Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
Supplemental Security Income or SSI falls under Title XVI of the Social Security Act. To be eligible for SSI, the claimant must have (1) limited income; (2) limited resources; and (3) the claimant must be a US citizen, a legal resident, or meet one of the limited exceptions in this area.
In general, most income will reduce the SSI benefit. This includes money: (1) you earn from work; (2) you receive from other sources; and (3) free food or shelter. Some income is not counted. This includes the first $20 of most income you receive in a month; the first $65 of earnings and one–half of earnings over $65 received in a month; the value of food stamps received in a month; assistance based on need funded by a State or local governments; food or shelter based on need provided by nonprofit agencies; loans to you (cash or in–kind) that you have to repay; money someone else spends to pay your expenses for items other than food or shelter (e.g., someone pays your telephone or medical bills). For the complete list of not countable income and more information see: http://www.ssa.gov/ssi/text-income-ussi.htm
To be eligible for SSI, the claimant must also have limited resources. Countable resources cannot exceed $2000 for a single claimant and $3000 for a married claimant. Some resources are not counted including: your home and the land it is on, one automobile (regardless of value) if it is used for transportation by you or a member of your household, and household goods and personal effects. For the complete list of not countable resources and more information see: http://www.ssa.gov/ssi/text-resources-ussi.html