Will I lose my SSI if I get married?

Asked by: Verlie Mante  |  Last update: March 25, 2025
Score: 4.5/5 (60 votes)

Getting married doesn't automatically end SSI benefits. What ends SSI benefits is the “INCOME AND ASSETS” of your spouse. If your spouse has a full time job, then some of that income will be counted as yours. That may reduce your SSI benefits.

What happens to my SSI benefits if I get married?

Marriage itself doesn't affect your eligibility for SSI benefits, but if your new husband or wife has income, Social Security will deem some of his or her income to you, which might reduce or end your benefits.

What benefits will I lose if I get married?

While marriage will not affect your own personal benefits, it might have an impact on the benefits that your children can receive. Additionally, if you divorce or become widowed, there might be an impact on your SSDI benefits.

What is the marriage penalty for SSI?

To become and remain eligible for SSI benefits, single individuals may not have countable resources valued at more than $2,000 and married couples may not have countable resources valued at more than $3,000.

How much can your spouse make if you are on SSI?

The living allowance could be based on the monthly federal benefit rate (in 2022, $841 per month). Under this option, the non-SSI spouse can earn more before the SSA calculations would reduce the SSI spouse's stipend. Reductions would not begin until the non-SSI spouse earns more than about $1,766 per month.

Will You Lose Your SSDI or SSI if You Get Married

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Can I still get SSI if my spouse works?

Does my spouse's income affect my eligibility for SSI payments? Yes. Your spouse's income could affect your eligibility for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The Social Security Administration (SSA) awards to people with limited income and low assets.

What is the $1000 rule for SSI?

Where the overpayment is $2,000 or less and you file a request for reconsideration or waiver, Social Security will waive any collection of the over-payment (unless you were at fault in creating the overpayment). This is known as the SSI $1,000 Rule.

Do I have to report to SSI if I get married?

Let us know when details about your personal situation change. This includes things like getting a new job, getting married, and moving to a new home. How much money you make, your living situation, your family, and various other personal details affect the Social Security benefits you get every month.

Why do you lose disability if you get married?

If the person you're marrying makes a modest income, it's entirely possible that when your spouse's income is added to yours, this may put you over the SSI eligibility limit. In turn, getting married may reduce the amount of your SSI benefit or possibly cause the payments to stop completely.

What is the Social Security weird marriage rule?

If the widow does not wait until age 60 to marry, she cannot claim the widow benefit on her first husband's record. This leaves her ineligible for Social Security benefits for the first 24 months after attaining age 60. Assume that she files for the spouse benefit from her second husband's record at age 62.

Can SSI find out if you are married?

Social Security determines your marital status based on the information you provide when applying for benefits or updating your Social Security records. When applying for benefits, you will be required to provide your personal information, including your name, age, Social Security number, and marital status.

What benefits do I lose if I remarry?

If you're receiving spousal benefits based on your former spouse's work record, those benefits will generally end upon your getting remarried, but you may be able to receive benefits based on your new spouse's work record, or on your own.

What is the SSI marriage penalty bill?

Valadao (CA-22) announced the introduction of a bipartisan bill to remove the marriage penalty for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for individuals with disabilities. Currently, benefits for a married couple who both receive SSI and have no other income amount to 25% less than their non-married counterparts.

What happens if you don't report marriage to Social Security?

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DO NOT REPORT CHANGES TIMELY AND ACCURATELY? You may be underpaid and not receive the benefits due to you, as quickly as you otherwise could, if you do not report changes on time. We may overpay you and you may have to pay us back.

How much does SSI allow for rent?

On September 30, 2024, Social Security will change how they look at rental agreements for SSI recipients. Social Security will consider this a business arrangement for the individual to pay a lower rent if the individual is paying the SSI Presumed Maximum Value (PMV) amount, which for 2024 is $314 per month.

Can I add my wife to my SSI benefits?

When a worker files for retirement benefits, the worker's spouse may be eligible for a benefit based on the worker's earnings. Another requirement is that the spouse must be at least age 62 or have a qualifying child in her/his care.

Will my SSI benefits change if I get married?

If the person you are marrying is also getting SSI benefits, then the SSA will reduce amount of money you receive. For example, the full SSI payment for an individual is $914 (in 2023), while a couple with both spouses on SSI is $1,371. In 2024, the SSI amount for an individual is $943.

How can I get married without losing my disability benefits?

If you get Social Security disability or retirement benefits and you marry, your benefit will stay the same. However, other benefits such as SSI, Survivors, Divorced Spouses, and Child's benefits may be affected.

How does SSI work for married couples?

The treatment of marriage is a frequent consideration in the discussion of government benefit policies. In the Supplemental Security Income ( SSI ) program, for example, two recipients married to each other receive a benefit that is one-quarter less than if they simply lived together but not as husband and wife.

Does SSI have a marriage penalty?

The so-called marriage penalty, for instance, results from SSI's limit on how much someone can own in savings and assets. It's $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple. Those levels haven't budged since 1989.

What can cause you to lose your Social Security disability benefits?

The termination of benefits in the Social Security disability program is based predominantly on four factors: conversion to the retirement program (that is, attainment of full retirement age), death, medical recovery, and work recovery.

How much can your spouse make if you are on SSI 2024?

There are income and asset limits for beneficiaries of SSI. If you meet or exceed either of these limits, your SSI payments will be reduced by the SSA and potentially terminated. In 2024, the income limit for an individual is $1,971. The limit for a couple is $2,915.

What can reduce SSI benefits?

We will reduce your SSI Payment when: Others in your household pay for or provide you with all of your meals and your shelter expenses; or. Others inside or outside of your household pay for your shelter expenses.

How much can I make a month without losing SSI?

SSI is generally for individuals who don't earn more than $2,019 from work each month. The income limit increases for couples and when parents apply for children. We also look at other sources of income besides your job, like disability benefits, unemployment, and pensions.

What happens if you have more than $2000 in the bank on SSI?

If the value of your resources that we count is over the allowable limit at the beginning of the month, you cannot receive SSI for that month. If you decide to sell the excess resources for what they are worth, you may receive SSI beginning the month after you sell the excess resources.