SSI provides a monthly income to help meet the basic needs of people with little or no income, age 65 or over, who have a severe disability, or who are blind. To qualify as disabled, an applicant must show that they are unable to engage in any substantial gainful employment because of a medically determinable impairment that can be expected to result in death or has lasted or can be expected to last at least 12 months. SSI beneficiaries rely primarily on these benefits. According to SSA statistical reports, for non-institutionalized SSI beneficiaries between 18 and 64, SSI benefits account for more than three-quarters of their income. For 47 percent of them, SSI was their sole income. SSI benefits reduce the extent and the depth of poverty. Some families are lifted above the poverty line. For others, their SSI benefits reduce the distance between their income and the poverty line.
The Board believes research should be performed to explore viable options for people with disabilities. We recommend testing whether program changes in TANF and SSI that address program restrictions limit an individual’s ability to achieve self-sufficiency. Research should be conducted to determine the most cost-effective way to serve this overlapping population at the federal and state levels. Are there lessons to be learned from European systems that are more effective in linking rehabilitation services to cash benefits? We want to ensure that new barriers are not erected to programs such as SSI and SSDI. We urge the administering agencies to resume and strengthen their efforts to work collaboratively and to improve their understanding of each other’s roles and responsibilities.
The Statement is included in SSA’s 2007 Annual Report on the SSI Program. The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act of 1996 gives Board members the opportunity, individually or jointly, to include their views on SSI in SSA’s annual report to the President and Congress on the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. The Board or one of its members has submitted a statement every year since 1998, except for 2024 due to the lack of a quorum.