Supplemental Security Income pays federal benefits to our neediest citizens. It’s been paying out more since the recession.
The government provides an economic safety net for the poor, disabled and blind through Supplemental Security Income payments.
After being stable for a decade, the number of SSI recipients started to rise with the recession. Their ranks have grown an average 2.9 percent a year since 2008.
In January 2012, 7.9 million people received federal SSI payments averaging $497 a month.
The annual pricetag for SSI in fiscal year 2012 was $51 billion.
One in five SSI dollars goes to disabled children. Many have lifetime physical impairments. But the fastest-growing segment of SSI payments to children – it’s now two-thirds – is for children with mental impairments such as autism, bipolar illness, depression and learning disabilities.
SSI is studying childhood disabilities to decide whether these children should be re-assessed periodically for eligibility to receive benefits.
We’ve supplied numerous facts about Social Security and Medicare. Today the focus is Supplemental Security Income. SSI is administered by the Social Security Administration and is designed to be the “program of last resort” for the poor, blind and disabled – those who have limited means, little or no Social Security or other income.
The SSI recipient population was fairly steady until the recession hit. But it’s grown an average of 2.9 percent a year since 2008.
Over the last 10 years, the SSI program grew from 6.5 million recipients in 2002, averaging $404 a month in payments – to 7.9 million recipients in 2012, averaging $497 a month. At this rate program officials predict recipients will top 10 million by 2036.
Click through our photo gallery for more on SSI. See “What Do Others Say?” for more commentary. Then add to the discussion below. Would you want to make any changes to SSI? What role should the federal government play caring for the poorest of the poor?