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SSI payment amount in 2026 and what your income leaves of it
The federal rate is the most SSI pays. Your own income, counted after the exclusions, is subtracted from it.
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In 2026 the maximum federal SSI payment is $994 a month for an eligible individual and $1,491 for an eligible couple, after a 2.8% cost-of-living increase that took effect in January 2026; the rates were $967 and $1,450 in 2025. An essential person living with a recipient adds up to $498. Few people receive the full rate, because Social Security subtracts countable income: unearned income such as a Social Security benefit, minus a $20 general exclusion, and half of wages above $65. A person with a $300 Social Security check receives $714 from SSI; a worker earning $1,200 a month still gets $436.50. The federal payment reaches zero at $1,014 of unearned income or $2,073 of wages alone. Countable resources must stay at or under $2,000 for one person and $3,000 for a couple, and some states add a supplement on top.
Estimated federal SSI payment, per month
$614
$7,368 a year, before any state supplement
| Federal benefit rate 2026 | $994 |
| Unearned income after the $20 exclusion | −$380 |
| Earnings counted (after $65, then one half) | −$0 |
| Federal SSI payment | $614 |
| Resource limit | $2,000 |
SSA 2026 amounts and income exclusions. Free food or shelter from others (in-kind support), deeming from a spouse or parent and state supplements are not modeled. How this is calculated.
The 2026 federal benefit rates
The SSA table of federal payment amounts sets three monthly maximums for 2026: $994 for an eligible individual, $1,491 for an eligible individual with an eligible spouse, and $498 for an essential person. SSA does not simply add the COLA to last year's monthly figure. It raises the unrounded yearly amounts by 2.8%, divides by 12 and rounds down to the next whole dollar, so the monthly figures never carry cents. For an individual the result is $27 more each month than in 2025, or $324 over the year.
| Recipient | 2025, per month | 2026, per month | 2026, per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eligible individual | $967 | $994 | $11,928 |
| Eligible couple | $1,450 | $1,491 | $17,892 |
These are ceilings. The amount actually deposited is the rate minus countable income, and for a couple the result is split equally between the two spouses. A person who receives free shelter from others can also see a lower amount, because SSA treats that help as in-kind support and maintenance, a form of unearned income.
How your other income lowers the payment
Social Security applies the exclusions in a fixed order, described in its SSI income guide and in 20 CFR 416.1124. The first $20 of almost any income is ignored, starting with unearned income. Unearned income left after that counts dollar for dollar: Social Security, pensions, unemployment, state disability payments, cash from relatives. On earnings, Social Security takes off whatever is left of the $20, then $65, then counts only 50% of the remainder. Work is therefore treated far more gently than other income.
| Monthly situation (2026) | Gross income | Countable income | Federal SSI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social Security of $300 | $300 | $280 | $714 |
| Wages of $317 | $317 | $116 | $878 |
| Wages of $1,200 | $1,200 | $557.50 | $436.50 |
| Social Security of $600 and wages of $500 | $1,100 | $797.50 | $196.50 |
| Couple, Social Security of $900 together | $900 | $880 | $611 |
The first two lines reproduce the examples SSA prints in its 2026 income guide. In the mixed case, the $600 of Social Security uses up the $20 exclusion, so $580 counts; from the $500 of wages, $65 is set aside and half of the remaining $435 counts. Many items are not income at all for SSI: SNAP benefits, income tax refunds and refundable tax credits, home energy assistance, need-based help from a state or local government, and loans you must repay. A student under 22 can also exclude earnings up to $2,410 a month and $9,730 a year in 2026.
The resource limits: $2,000 and $3,000
SSI also has an asset test: countable resources of $2,000 for one person and $3,000 for a couple, measured at the start of each month (SSA, SSI resources). Cash, bank accounts, stocks, savings bonds, digital currency, land and some life insurance count. The home you live in, household goods, one vehicle used for transportation, burial spaces, and burial funds of up to $1,500 each for you and your spouse do not. Up to $100,000 in an ABLE account is excluded, federal tax refunds and advance tax credits are ignored for 12 months, and retroactive SSI or Social Security for nine months. Giving away a resource or selling it below its value can cost up to 36 months of benefits. For a child under 18 living with parents, part of the parents' resources is deemed to the child, after leaving out $2,000 for one parent or $3,000 for two.
State supplements, SNAP and Medicaid
SSA states that some states supplement SSI. Its income guide shows the mechanics for a federally administered supplement: the federal payment is computed first, then the state amount for the person's living arrangement is added. Amounts differ by state and living arrangement, and this page does not list them; the calculator returns the federal part.
SSI and SNAP work together in one direction only. SNAP counts the SSI payment as unearned income under 7 CFR 273.9, but SSI does not count SNAP benefits as income. A SNAP household with a member who receives SSI because of disability is treated as having a disabled member, which gives it the medical deduction and a shelter deduction without the usual cap; see SNAP for seniors for how those deductions work. For health coverage, SSI is left out of MAGI, the income measure used for expansion adults, CHIP and Marketplace plans, according to HealthCare.gov. Medicaid for people on SSI is decided under each state's rules; the Medicaid eligibility guide and your state page name the agency to ask.
Unlike most programs on this site, SSI does not use the federal poverty level: HHS lists it among the cash programs that do not. Working recipients who file a tax return may also be owed the earned income tax credit, which SSI ignores as a resource for 12 months.