Changes with Your Earnings

How Your SSI Payment

Changes with Your Earnings

2013 Fact Sheet

How It Helps You:

If you are working, continue to have a disability, have resources under $2,000 ($3,000 for a couple) and are receiving SSI, the Social Security Administration (SSA) may allow you to continue to beeligible for SSI and will gradually reduce your SSI cash payment with earnings. The amount of your adjusted SSI check will depend on your total countable income (which includes earned and unearned income). Whenever your earnings increase or decrease, your SSI payment will be adjusted.

How It Works:

SSA will gradually reduce your SSI check as your earnings from work increase. This is done by applying exclusions to your income and earnings. Some exclusions are automatic; SSA will first deduct a $20 General Income Exclusion from any income or earnings, and then deduct a $65 Earned Income Exclusion from your earnings. After applying these exclusions, they will then count half of the remainder of your earnings in calculating your new SSI payment. For example, if you have $850 in earnings and no other income, SSA would subtract $20 and $65, then divide the remainder in half; this means $382.50 will be subtracted from your SSI check, but you will have $850 in earnings. In addition, there are other work incentives that may be applied to your individual situation and deducted from your earnings in calculating your new SSI payment. Eventually, with increased earnings, your total countable income may reach a point called the Break Even Point. This amount is reached when your total countable income will reduce your SSI payment to zero, but, even then you have another work incentive, called 1619b, which may allow you to maintain your SSI eligibility.

Because of the countable income formula, when SSI recipients with disabilities work, they usually find that they have more money available. For instance, in the example above of $850 in earnings and a $382.50 deduction from the SSI cash benefit, you would experience an increase of $467.50 in gross income at the end of the month.

A trained Community Work Incentives Coordinator can help you understand how total countable income isapplied and explore any additional work incentives that may be applicable to you.

The viewpoints of this fact sheet do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of the Social Security Administration. This fact sheet has been adapted from Indiana’s Benefits Information Network by Plan to Work for use in Washington State.

Working may be easier than you think--contact Plan to Work to learn more!

Plan to Work at Community-Minded Enterprises, 25 W Main, Suite 310, Spokane, WA 99201

Toll Free: 866-497-9443 • TTY: 877-676-4754 •