How Much Will I Get From SSI?

Everyone who receives disability benefits through SSI (Supplemental Security Income) is eligible for the same SSI benefit amount: $994. But, your actual monthly SSI payment depends on:

• the state you live in
• whether you have any "countable" income, and
• whether you're married.

SSI is a federal program that pays benefits to disabled, blind, or elderly people who have very low income and resources.

How Much Does SSI Disability Pay Per Month?

In 2026, the maximum SSI payment is $994. But most SSI recipients receive less than the federal benefit rate of $994, and some receive more. Your actual monthly payment will depend on how much income you or your family earns and how much of a "state supplemental payment" (SSP) your state pays, if any.

If you're married and your spouse is also eligible for SSI benefits, you'll get less than two individuals would get. The maximum federal benefit rate for couples is only $1,491, which is less than two $994 payments.

What Is the Average SSI Benefit Amount?

The average SSI benefit amount per month in 2025 was $718. (This average is before any state supplemental payments are added.)

Disabled and blind adults under age 65 received a bit more than this average ($764), and elderly adults received less on average ($595). Children also received more than the average ($848). Here's a chart showing the SSI disability amounts for 2025:

Source: SSA Monthly Statistical Snapshot, November 2025

In 2026, the average amounts are expected to go up about 3%, so the average SSI payment for 2026 will be about $740.

How Much SSI Will I Get?

The SSI benefit amount you'll get depends on whether you have any income and where you live. First, let's look at how income affects how much you get for disability per month and how SSI payments are calculated.

How Does Income Affect Your SSI Disability Amount?

If you have any income coming in other than SSI, some of it, but not all of it, will be subtracted from your SSI payment.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) will first look to see whether any income you have is countable. Countable income includes:

• money you earn from work (you can make a small amount of money and still be eligible for SSI)
• food or shelter you get for free, or for less than what it's worth (called "in-kind support and maintenance")
• money you get from friends or family, and
• other benefits, such as workers' compensation, unemployment, SSDI, or a pension.

But not all of your income is subtracted from your SSI payment. Each month, the SSA doesn't count:

• the first $20 of any kind of income you receive
• the first $65 of money you earn from work, plus half of the remainder
• food stamps
• income tax refunds
• veterans benefits, or
• food or shelter provided by a nonprofit agency.

Here's an example of how the SSA deducts part of your income when it calculates your SSI payment.

How Is Free Food and Shelter Subtracted From Your SSI Payment?

If you live with someone else and you receive free room and board, your SSI payment will be reduced by one-third. (It doesn't matter how much free rent you receive or how much food you get.)

Here's an example of how the amount of SSI is determined when you live with someone else.

But if you only receive free rent, or only free food, or you live with someone for less than a month, you can dispute the "one-third reduction" rule in your situation. Read our article on in-kind support and maintenance (ISM) for more information.

Is There a Minimum SSI Payment?

There is no minimum SSI payment amount. As discussed above, your specific payment is calculated by taking the federal benefit rate ($994) and subtracting your countable income, such as wages or in-kind income. You can receive an SSI benefit as low as $1 per month if your countable income is just below the income limit.

How Much SSI Back Pay Will I Get?

Do SSI Benefits Payments Vary by State?

While the federal benefit rate of $994 is the same throughout the United States, many states add a state supplemental payment to the federal benefit. The extra state payment varies from $10 to $400, depending on the state.

Even within your own state, the supplementary payment can be different depending on whether you're married or single and what your living arrangement is. For instance, in 2025, California added an extra $240 to the monthly SSI payment for people living independently with a kitchen and $369 for those living independently without cooking facilities. (SSI in California, 2025.)

Which States Pay Extra SSI Payments, and How Much?

While many states pay all SSI recipients some additional money, some states pay the supplement only to SSI recipients who live in nursing homes. For example, Texas pays a $60 supplement to those living in a nursing home and pays nothing to others. Similarly, Georgia pays an extra $20 to those living in nursing homes, and nothing to others. Maine pays only $10 extra, both to those living independently and those living in nursing homes. Other states that don't pay a supplement to people living independently include Delaware, Hawaii, Montana, Rhode Island, and D.C.

A few states don't pay an optional supplement at all, including Arizona, Arkansas, Mississippi, North Dakota, Tennessee, and West Virginia. Oregon no longer pays an SSI supplementary payment to all residents, but some residents with special needs can receive a cash benefit through the Oregon Supplemental Income Program.

Below you'll find a chart with the average SSI payments in each state, including the state supplement amount.

Visit our state SSI disability articles to learn the details of the SSI payment for your state.

Does Social Security Send Every State's SSI Checks?

The SSA administers (pays) the state supplement for some states, including California, Delaware, D.C., Hawaii, Iowa, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont, so the extra state payment is included in people's SSI checks in those states.

If the SSA administers the payment for your state, you apply for it automatically when you fill out an SSI application; there's no need to fill out another form.

Other states pay the supplement directly to you, separately from your federal SSI payment. If you live in a state that pays its own supplement, you need to apply for the state disability check directly from a state agency (your local Social Security office can tell you how).

For more information, see our article on the state supplemental payment.

When Will I Receive My SSI Check?

You'll usually receive your SSI payment on the first of each month, via direct deposit. But if the first falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, you'll receive your SSI deposit to your bank account or debit card on the business day before the first day of the month. For example, since August 1, 2026 is a Saturday, you'll receive your August check on July 31. Because you also received a check on July 1, it may seem like you're getting two checks during the month of July, but you won't get a check during the month of August. (Read about setting up direct deposit for SSI.)

Here's the SSI payment calendar for 2025.

Will My SSI Benefit Amounts Change Next Year?

The federal SSI disability amount regularly increases with cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) each year. The COLA is usually between 1% and 3%, but in some years, it can be as high as 8% or as low as 0%.

For 2026, the COLA is 2.8%, which increased the maximum federal SSI payment from $967 in 2025 to $994 in 2026. You'll get up to $994 in your December 31 payment (or $663 if your SSI benefit is reduced by one-third because you live with someone else). Read our article on Social Security's annual COLA for more information.

Average SSI Payment Amounts by State

California pays a fairly high supplement, making the average combined federal and state payment in that state $886 per month (at the end of 2025). The following SSI payment chart shows the average SSI payments for other states, including the state supplemental amounts, when provided by the SSA.

_{Source: SSA Annual Statistical Supplement, November 2025.}

Do You Need to Hire a Disability Lawyer to Get SSI Benefits?

If you've been denied benefits by Social Security and need to submit an appeal, it usually makes sense to hire a lawyer. Having an experienced disability attorney represent you at an appeal hearing increases your chances of winning your claim.

If you're worried that you can't afford an SSI lawyer, know that disability attorneys don't typically get paid unless you win your claim. And if they do win, they can only take 25% of your back pay, and none of your ongoing monthly benefits going forward. Because disability lawyers only get paid if they win, they only take on strong cases, so it can be difficult to find a lawyer.

Read more about how a lawyer can help you in our articles on what disability lawyers do and when hiring a disability lawyer is worth it.