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Depending on your age and marital status, the income and asset limits for your Supplemental Security Income (SSI) eligibility may vary. In general, these limits differ between minors and adults. However, individuals aged 65 and older also benefit from not having to meet the disability requirements.
How Age Impacts SSI Eligibility in Florida
Eligibility for SSI benefits in Florida is typically categorized into three main groups. There are minors aged 17 and under, adults aged 18 to 64, and “aged” individuals, who are 65 or older.
For individuals 65 and older, the only eligibility requirements are having a limited income and resources. Individuals younger than 65 must have limited income and resources as well as be blind or have another qualifying disability. What counts as a disability differs depending on whether the individual is a minor or an adult.
For minors, a disability is a physical or mental impairment that severely limits several bodily functions and can be expected to result in death or has lasted or is expected to last for at least one year. For adults, the difference is that rather than severely limiting several bodily functions, the impairment must result in the inability to perform any substantial gainful activity.
Earned vs. Unearned Income Limits
The Social Security Administration (SSA) uses income to determine your benefit eligibility. It can be broken down into earned and unearned income, each with its own threshold.
Earned income is money you receive as payment for a job, while unearned income is money received from other sources, including workers’ compensation, unemployment, and Social Security Disability benefits.
The following are the income limits for adults:
- $2,019 in earned income per month for an individual
- $2,985 in earned income per month for a couple
- $987 in unearned income per month for an individual
- $1,470 in unearned income per month for a couple
Income Limits for Children
The eligibility of children with disabilities is based on their household income. This differs depending on whether it is a one or two-parent household.
For one-parent households, the earned income threshold is $3,993 per month, and the unearned income threshold is $1,974 per month. For two-parent households, the earned income threshold is $4,959 per month, and the unearned income threshold is $2,457 per month.
Student Income Exclusion
Disabled individuals who are full-time students under the age of 22 may exclude up to $2,350 in gross earnings per month, but not more than $9,460 for the entire year.
Resource Limits for SSI Eligibility
In addition to the income limits for SSI eligibility, there are also resource limits that depend on certain assets you own. Assets that count toward your resource limit include things like:
- Cash
- Bank accounts
- Stocks, mutual funds, and U.S. savings bonds
- Land
- Vehicles
- Personal property
- Life insurance policies
In some cases, a spouse’s or parents’ resources may be used to determine your eligibility. This is determined on a case-by-case basis.
Not all resources count toward your resource limit. Resources that do not count include:
- The home you live in and the land it is on
- One vehicle used for transportation, regardless of value
- Life insurance policies with a combined value of $1,500 or less
- Up to $100,000 in ABLE account funds
Contact Our Florida Social Security Income Lawyers
If you have questions or concerns about your SSI eligibility, contact Disability Advocates Group – Florida for a free consultation with an experienced attorney. We’ll walk you through the eligibility criteria for receiving SSI benefits and explain how your earned and unearned income, as well as your resources, could impact those benefits.