The Social Security Administration (SSA) is an important part of the US government because it manages the retirement savings of millions of people.
Important changes will happen in October 2024 that will affect both retirees and people who get Supplemental Security Income (SSI). These changes are meant to make benefits better, but they may also change how people are chosen to be eligible.
For millions of retirees and people who get SSI, these changes will mean that their monthly payments and total benefits may be recalculated.
We will talk about the most important changes, how they might affect people who get benefits, and what you need to know about these new rules below.
3 changes to social security and SSI benefits in october 2024
1. Exclusion of food assistance from eligibility calculations:
- The SSA will no longer count food assistance from friends and family when determining SSI eligibility.
- This change could increase monthly payments by approximately $131 for more than 90,000 recipients.
- Additionally, this could allow more individuals to qualify for SSI benefits.
2. Expansion of rental subsidy exceptions:
- The exception for rental subsidies, previously limited to seven states, will now be applied nationwide.
- This expansion is expected to boost monthly payments by around $132 for approximately 41,000 people.
3. Broader definition of “public assistance household”:
- The inclusion of SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits in the public assistance definition will streamline eligibility for SSI.
- As a result, about 277,000 people could see an increase in their SSI payments, and more individuals will meet the eligibility criteria.
How these updates impact SSI applicants and beneficiaries
Along with the changes listed above, Congress still puts limits on people who want to get SSI benefits. These limits have not been changed since 1989.
These old rules make it harder for people who get SSI to save money, which adds to their problems. The SSA is trying to fix this by making SSI rules easier to understand and easing the administrative load on disabled people.
By making these changes, the SSA hopes to help millions of people, especially those with disabilities, get better financial help while also making the benefit process clearer and easier to understand.
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