Countable Income for SSI

One of the biggest differences between Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security disability insurance (SSDI) is that SSI is a needs-based disability program, while SSDI is available only to those who have worked a certain number of years. This means that a person applying for SSI must have income and assets below a certain threshold to be eligible for disability benefits. The Social Security Administration's rules for determining a person's income are a common source of confusion for SSI applicants, because not all income is counted.

How the SSI Income Limit Works

Individuals with "countable income" over the federal benefit rate (FBR)—$967 for individuals and $1,450 for married couples, in 2025—aren't eligible for SSI. SSI recipients who have some countable income, totaling less than the FBR limit, will have their monthly SSI payments reduced by the amount of their countable income. Individuals who have absolutely no countable income will receive the total federal benefit rate each month.

To determine whether you financially qualify for SSI and how much you might receive each month if your case is approved, you'll need to know what kinds of income the Social Security Administration (SSA) considers to be "countable" and what kinds of income are exempt.

What Social Security Does Not Count as Income

Social Security doesn't count the first $20 of income you receive in a month, whether it comes from earned income (wages or self-employment income) or unearned income (like Social Security payments, unemployment benefits, or gifts). In addition, Social Security doesn't count the first $65 of earned income (wages) as well as half of all earned income over $65 each month. This benefit is called the "earned income exclusion."

If you receive irregular or infrequent income, Social Security won't count some of it. Up to $60 per quarter of irregular unearned income (such as a gift) isn't counted, and up to $30 per quarter of irregular earned income (such as from an odd job) isn't counted.

Here are several more common services and payments that SSA doesn't count as income:

• gifts of food
• food stamps
• medical care
• cash loans or "in-kind" (non-monetary) loans that you have agreed to repay
• grants and scholarships used for educational expenses
• income tax refunds
• home energy assistance
• food or shelter provided by a nonprofit agency
• state or local needs-based assistance
• disability-related work expenses (money you spend so that you can go to work)
• for students under 22, earned income of not more than $2,350 per month or $9,460 per year (in 2025), and
• money spent by others on your expenses, including your phone bills, utility bills, or medical bills (anything other than food and shelter).

This example may help to illustrate SSI's countable income rules:

What Is Countable Income?

Income that Social Security will count includes cash and anything else that could be used to pay for housing or food, including alimony and child support. The more countable income a person has, the less they will receive in SSI payments.

While some benefits aren't counted as income, as discussed above, other benefits are, including veterans' disability compensation, Social Security disability insurance (SSDI), and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).

Of course, most money from working or self-employment counts as income and can lower SSI payments, but there are two situations that many SSI recipients are surprised to learn can affect the amount of their monthly payment. The first applies to married SSI applicants living with their spouses, the second to SSI applications whose friends or relatives are giving them free room and board.

Family members' income may count as your income, in some situations, and if you live in the house or apartment of a family member or friend and don't pay the full rent, Social Security may count that as income against you too.

Married SSI Disability Applicants

For married SSI recipients living with spouses who don't receive SSI, Social Security will usually count some of the income from the spouse not receiving SSI in determining the SSI amount. This is called "deeming income" and it applies to spouses earning over $472 a month. If the married couple has children in the home, the threshold increases by $472 for each child.

Not all of a spouse's income will be deemed to the SSI recipient, due to various exemptions, but it's possible for a spouse's income to disqualify a person from SSI benefits. Social Security will perform calculations on the spouse's income to come up with how much of the spouse's income will be counted as being available to you (to pay for housing and food). For the details on this spousal "deeming" of income, see our article on when a spouse's income affects SSI benefits.

Similarly, when a parent applies for SSI for their child, the SSA looks at the parent's income to see if the child qualifies for SSI. A good portion of the parent's income will be counted as being available for the child, although the SSA exempts some of it as living expenses for the parent(s) and sibling(s) living with the child. For the details, see our article on how a parent's income affects SSI benefits.

Help With Room and Board

Individuals receiving free (or reduced-cost) room and board may see their SSI benefits reduced by as much as one-third. (For the details on what's called in-kind income, see our article how in-kind income and support affect your SSI payment.)

Some SSI recipients get around this by saying that their free housing or free room and board is a loan, rather than a gift. The best way to show this, so that SSA doesn't count the free room and board against you, is to sign a contract promising to repay the value of what is received. This contract should be signed by the SSI applicant and the person providing the room and board, and it should be submitted to Social Security as soon as possible after you apply for benefits. You have to be capable of paying back the loan, or Social Security won't approve it.

State Supplementary Payments

Some states pay an additional monthly amount to SSI recipients. This amount not only affects how much money you'll receive each month, but how much income you can earn. See our article on SSI state supplemental payments for more information.

Countable Assets for SSI

Finally, note that Social Security looks at your assets in addition to your income to determine SSI eligibility, and it probably comes as no surprise that some assets aren't counted, such as the house you live in, the car you drive, and many household goods and personal items. To learn more, read our article on asset limits for SSI.