Rental Subsidies for SSI Beneficiaries Expanding to All 50 States
Good news for new SSI applicants and current beneficiaries. Beginning September 30th SSA is expanding a rule regarding rental subsidies which previously only applied in seven states (Connecticut, New York, Vermont, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Texas) to cover the entire country. SSI recipients who pay less than market value in room or rental costs to friends or family will now see less deducted from their monthly SSI benefits.
Previously, a rental with a market value of $1,000 per month which was being rented by an SSI recipient for $500 per month meant that the SSI recipient was getting $500 in free rent, which was counted as a type of income, In-Kind Support and Maintenance (ISM). This free rental income would reduce SSI benefits by the presumed maximum value of ISM, currently $334.33 per month. Beginning September 30, 2024 any rental payments made which are equal to or higher than the presumed maximum value will be considering a “business arrangement” and will result in no loss of SSI benefits at all. Required rent below the current presumed maximum value will only reduce the monthly SSI benefit by the difference between the rental amount and the presumed maximum value. For example, $200 monthly rent would result in an ISM deduction from SSI benefits of $134 per month while a monthly rent of $350 per month, even if paid on a rental worth significantly more at market rates, would cause no loss of SSI benefits at all because it is higher than the current presumed maximum value.