What Are State Supplemental Benefits for SSI Disability?

Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, is a federally funded disability program that pays low-income recipients a set monthly amount. The SSI disability benefit provided by the federal government is the same in all states. However, in most states, SSI recipients can also receive an additional supplementary payment from their state, giving them a monthly benefit amount that's higher than the federal amount ($841 in 2022). Some states, however, pay a supplement only when a person with a disability lives in a certain setting, such as an adult care home or nursing home.

What Is a State Supplemental Payment?

SSI state supplemental payments are monthly cash payments paid out of state funds, rather than federal funds. These payments supplement monthly federal SSI payments. The federal payment is a maximum of $841 for an individual, though it can often be less if an SSI recipient works or receives free food or shelter.

Which States Pay the SSI Supplement?

Every state except Arizona, North Dakota, and West Virginia currently pays a state supplement to its disabled residents who receive SSI.

Who Writes the Supplement Check?

The Social Security Administration (SSA) administers the state supplement for some states. The states with Social Security-administered supplemental payments are: California, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Iowa, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. In these states, your application for SSI is an application for the state supplement as well, and you'll receive one check from Social Security that combines the federal and state SSI benefits.

Social Security administers a slightly different type of payment (mandatory, rather than optional) for Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee.

In states that administer their own supplement program, you have to file a supplemental application with the state agency that manages the payments to get the extra monthly payment. You can find the amount of the supplemental payment for these states in our state-by-state disability pages.

How Much Is the State Supplemental Payment?

Each state has its own rules about how much the monthly supplement is and who is entitled to the supplement. The amount of the state supplement ranges from about $10 to $400, depending on the state.

In addition, states often vary the amount of the supplement depending on whether you are single or married and on whether you live in a nursing home, assisted living, or on your own. In many states, a person living on their own and receiving SSI won't receive a state supplement, but someone living in a nursing home will (and that money will go toward nursing home costs).

For the federally administered states, here are the supplement amounts that each state pays to individuals who are living on their own.

Note that Delaware, Hawaii, Michigan, Montana, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and D.C. don't make supplemental payments to SSI recipients who are living independently. Some of these states only make payments to those living in nursing homes.

You can also check with your Social Security claims representative when you file for disability about the current amount of your state's supplement and whether you are eligible for it.

How the Supplement Affects Eligibility

The amount of the state supplement doesn't just affect how much you'll get each month. The amount of the state supplement also affects how much income you can make in your state and still be eligible for SSI. For more information, see our article on the SSI income limits.

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