The first Supplemental Security Income payment of the new year, worth up to $943 for individual filers, will go out to recipients in two weeks.
The payment will be released on Feb. 1, and it marks the first check of 2024 because no payment was issued in January. Recipients were given two payments in December 2023 instead.
The double payment was because of a scheduling quirk in the Social Security Administration’s calendar.
The amount each person receives varies depending on how the recipient filed for the payment. There are three categories when filing — individual, joint, or as an essential person.
This year, individual filers will receive up to $943 each month, eligible couples will receive up to $1,415, and essential persons, those who live with people receiving SSI payments and provide them with necessary care, will get $472, according to the SSA. These amounts are an increase of 3.2% from 2023.
Not every recipient will receive the maximum payment. Filers can see a personalized estimate through the SSA’s calculator.
To qualify for SSI, a person has to be totally or partially blind or have a “physical or mental condition(s) that seriously limits their daily activities for a period of 12 months or more, or may be expected to result in death.”
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Created in 1974, the SSI program seeks to provide extra assistance to society’s most vulnerable members, including elderly, blind, and disabled people. The program was intended to provide an income floor, which state assistance programs would supplement.
The SSI payments are given on top of regular Social Security benefits, providing monthly payments to adults and children with blindness or another disability and limited income.
