Social Security Administration (SSA)/Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 101

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a need-based cash benefit for children and adults with disabilities who have very low household income.

SSI is not dependent on prior work history credits, meaning that it might be available to people who don’t qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or retirement benefits because they have insufficient work history.

In many states, a person who receives SSI is automatically eligible for Medicaid health coverage. For example, if you're a California resident who qualifies for SSI, you can receive full-scope Medi-Cal, meaning you’re not expected to pay for a share of provided services each month.

Some other programs may be available to SSI recipients, including discounts on public utilities like electricity, gas, water, and phone service.

There must be limited income and resources in the household. For children under age 18, SSI will look at the entire household's income and resources. You can use this tool on ssa.gov to determine if your child is likely to qualify based on the financial criteria for your household size.

Children younger than age 18 will be considered to have an eligible disability if they have “a medically determinable physical or mental impairment or combination of impairments that causes marked and severe functional limitations.” The child’s disability needs to have lasted or be expected to last for at least 12 months, or is expected to shorten the child’s life span.

If your child receives SSI, they will likely be reevaluated for eligibility when they turn 18 to see if they still qualify under the more restrictive adult criteria. If your child is already receiving SSI and has an IEP, they should continue to receive SSI benefits after 18 as long as they remain in special education. (You will need to provide the SSA with a copy of their IEP to ensure benefits are given.)

SSI may also be available to children who reside in institutions (which includes a child undergoing a months-long hospitalization).

Adults need to be deemed unable to engage in “substantial gainful activity” (SGA) due to their physical or intellectual disability. SGA refers to an income amount that an individual is expected to earn. A person may be eligible for SSI if they’re unable to participate in enough work to bring in that expected amount of money. The dollar amount for SGA slightly increases each year; as of 2025, it's $1,620 per month for non-blind individuals or $2,700 per month for blind individuals.

This disability has to be expected to last for at least 12 months or is expected to shorten the individual’s life span.

Learn more about SSI benefits for young adults in our article Supplemental Security Income (SSI) in the Transition to Adulthood, which goes into detail about what to expect from monthly benefits, how employment affects benefits, and what the asset limits are for adults.

• If you, your child’s other parent, or your child’s legal guardian receives Social Security retirement or disability (SSDI) benefits, then all of your minor children (whether or not they have a disability) may be eligible for dependent or survivor benefits.

• If your child’s other parent or guardian has passed away and they had sufficient work history under SSA rules, then all minor children (whether or not they have a disability) may be eligible for dependent or benefits.

• For your child with disabilities, dependent benefits may continue into their adulthood if they remain eligible due to their disability (also known as disabled adult child benefit, or DAC).

• If your child with disabilities receives long-term dependent or survivor benefits, they are eligible for Medicare after 24 months of receiving these benefits.

• If a child or adult with disabilities is receiving dependent or survivor benefits under a parent or guardian’s work history, they may still be eligible for a reduced SSI benefit if the dependent or survivor benefit falls below a certain threshold.

You can learn more about cash benefits in SSA’s guide to services for children with disabilities.