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Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Rule Changes Explained
Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley recently announced changes to SSI eligibility rules scheduled to take effect September 30, 2024. The rule change makes several eligibility changes, including expansion of the “households” definition and removal of barriers preventing acquisition of benefits by certain vulnerable population segments.
The rule changes are outlined in a post fox7austin.com by reporter Austin Williams, and are described as efforts “to make it easier for more individuals to qualify for SSI benefits, which are crucial for covering essential needs such as housing, food, and medical care.” On an editorial note, the title of the Austin post is “More Americans to qualify for Social Security under new SNAP rule,” but it needs to be clarified that SSI is NOT part of the Social Security program itself, but rather a program administered separately by the agency using funding provided by the Federal government. Social Security funds are not used as payments to SSI beneficiaries.