Section 6. SSI Program Description The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program is a means- tested, federally administered income assistance program authorized by title XVI of the Social Security Act. Established by the 1972 amendments to the Social Security Act (Public Law 92-603) and begun in 1974, SSI provides monthly cash payments in accordance with uniform, nationwide eligibility requirements to needy aged, blind and disabled persons. The SSI program replaced the former Federal grants to the States for old-age assistance, aid to the blind and aid to the permanently disabled. These grants continue in Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. SSI, however, operates in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Table 6-1 summarizes the trends in the SSI program since its inception in 1974: (1) The number of recipients on SSI has risen from nearly 4 million in 1974 to nearly 6 million in December 1993. The number of SSI recipients declined early in the program as the number of aged individuals on SSI declined, but that trend reversed in the mid- 1980s as rapid growth in disabled recipients outstripped the minimal change in the elderly and blind SSI populations. From 1984 through 1993, the disabled population on SSI grew at an annual average rate of about 9.2 percent. (2) Total annual benefits paid under the SSI program rose at an average rate of 7.9 percent from about $5.3 billion in 1974 to $23.6 billion in 1993. After adjusting for inflation, however, total annual benefits rose by an annual average rate of 2.2 percent. (3) The monthly Federal benefit rates for individuals and couples rose from $140 and $210 in 1974 to $446 and $669 in 1994, respectively. Nearly all of these changes resulted from the statutory indexation of the Federal benefit rates to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). (4) The proportion of SSI recipients receiving Social Security benefits declined from nearly 53 percent in 1974 to about 40 percent in 1993. The fraction of SSI recipients receiving some other type of unearned income rose from about 11 percent in 1974 to 13 percent in 1993, and the fraction with earnings jumped from about 3 percent in 1974 to more than 4 percent in December 1993. (5) The Federal benefit rate as a percent of the appropriate poverty level for individuals has ranged from 72 to 77 percent and is currently 75 percent; for couples it has ranged from 86 to 91 percent and is currently at 89.5 percent. Most States supplement the Federal benefit for at least some participants. (6) The SSI program pays benefits to children who are blind or have other disabilities. Some of the increases in participation since 1991 reflect the revised definition of disability for children as a result of the Supreme Court's decision in the Sullivan v. Zebley case. BASIC ELIGIBILITY To qualify for SSI payments, a person must satisfy the program criteria for age, blindness or disability. The aged are defined as persons 65 years and older. The blind are individuals with 20/200 vision or less with the use of a correcting lens in the person's better eye, or those with tunnel vision of 20 degrees or less. Disabled individuals are those unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of a medically determined physical or mental impairment expected to result in death or that has lasted, or can be expected to last, for a continuous period of at least 12 months. Also, a child under age 18 who has an impairment of comparable severity with that of an adult may be considered disabled. On February 20, 1990, the Supreme Court affirmed the Court of Appeals (Third Circuit) decision in Sullivan v. Zebley. As a result, SSA is completing a reevaluation of childhood disability claims for SSI benefits which were denied because the child's functional limitations were not considered in making the decision on the severity of the impairment. Federal regulations that revise the disability evaluation and determination process for SSI claims of disabled children (i.e., implementing the Zebley decision) were issued in February 1991. A person also must be needy, i.e., have limited income and resources (discussed later) to be eligible for SSI. However, disabled SSI recipients whose incomes exceed the limits because of earnings but who continue to be medically disabled, may continue to be eligible for Medicaid. In addition, to qualify for SSI, a person must (1) be a U.S. citizen or an immigrant lawfully admitted for permanent residence or otherwise permanently residing in the United States under color of law and, (2) be a resident of the United States or the Northern Mariana Islands, or a child of military personnel stationed outside the United States. TABLE 6-1.--SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME SUMMARY [Selected calendar years 1974-93] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Item 1974 1978 1980 1984 1986 1988 1990 1991 1992 1993 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Recipients:\1\ Total........................... 3,996,064 4,216,925 4,142,017 4,029,333 4,269,184 4,463,869 4,817,127 5,118,470 5,566,189 5,984,300 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aged.............................. 2,285,909 1,967,900 1,807,776 1,530,289 1,473,428 1,433,420 1,454,041 1,464,684 1,471,022 1,474,852 Blind............................. 74,616 77,135 78,401 80,524 83,115 82,864 83,686 84,549 85,400 85,456 Disabled.......................... 1,635,539 2,171,890 2,255,840 2,418,522 2,712,641 2,947,585 3,279,400 3,569,237 4,009,767 4,424,022 Number with Section 1619(a)........... NA NA NA 406 (8/84) 992 (1/86) 19,920 \2\13,994 15,531 17,603 18,597 Number with Section 1619(b)....... NA NA NA 6,804 8,106 15,625 23,517 26,852 31,649 34,293 Annual Payments (In millions): Total........................... $5,246 $6,552 $7,940 $10,372 $12,081 $13,786 $16,599 $18,534 $22,238 $23,991 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Federal Benefits.................. 3,833 4,881 5,866 8,281 9,498 10,734 12,894 14,765 18,247 20,722 Federal Admin. State Supp......... 1,264 1,491 1,848 1,792 2,243 2,671 3,239 3,231 3,435 3,270 State Admin. State Supp........... 149 180 226 299 340 381 466 538 \3\556 564 ================================================================================================================= Annual Payments (In millions of 1992 dollars).................... $14,929 $14,099 $13,519 $14,006 $15,465 $16,350 $17,818 $19,092 $22,238 $23,841 Monthly Federal Benefits Rates: Individuals....................... $140.00 $177.80 $208.20 $314.00 $336.00 $354.00 $386.00 $407.00 $422.00 $434.00 Couples........................... 210.00 266.70 312.30 472.00 504.00 532.00 579.00 610.00 633.00 652.00 Average Federal SSI payments:\1\ All Recipients.................... $95.11 $111.98 $143.35 $196.16 $215.40 $227.49 $261.47 $286.03 $329.74 $317.41 Aged Individuals.................. 78.48 91.22 112.45 143.24 151.38 159.36 175.29 186.28 195.86 204.45 Aged Couples...................... 93.02 120.48 157.56 221.98 246.07 273.18 322.82 414.26 448.61 478.42 Average Federally administered:\1\ State supplementation............. $70.92 $75.00 $99.15 $97.61 $115.41 $122.68 $139.79 $130.55 $118.08 $108.50 Income of Recipients Percent with:\1\ Social Security benefits.......... 52.7 51.7 51.0 49.6 48.9 47.8 45.9 44.3 41.3 40.1 Other unearned income............. 10.5 11.5 11.0 11.2 12.1 12.4 13.0 14.1 14.5 13.4 Earnings.......................... 2.8 3.1 3.2 3.5 3.9 4.4 4.7 4.6 4.4 4.3 Average amount of:\1\ Social Security benefits.......... $130.01 $156.50 $196.94 $250.61 $263.29 $286.49 $318.57 $329.19 $335.72 $338.85 Other unearned income............. 61.10 66.93 74.35 84.56 86.40 85.92 98.13 94.71 91.96 100.44 Earnings.......................... 80.00 99.32 106.95 126.47 142.17 173.09 195.64 206.86 207.55 210.22 Poverty Thresholds (Age 65 and over): Individual........................ $2,364 $3,127 $3,949 $4,979 $5,255 $5,674 $6,268 $6,532 $6,729 $6,930 Couple............................ 2,982 3,944 4,983 6,282 6,630 7,158 7,905 8,241 8,489 8,741 Federal Benefit Rate as a percent of Poverty: Individual........................ 74.1 72.7 72.3 75.6 76.7 74.9 73.9 74.8 75.3 75.2 Couple............................ 88.1 86.4 86.0 90.2 91.2 89.2 87.9 88.8 89.5 89.5 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\December data. \2\The decrease in 1619(a) participants in 1990 was caused by the increase in the substantial gainful activity level to $500 monthly. \3\Fiscal year 1992 data. Source: Social Security Bulletin, Annual Statistical Supplement, and unpublished data. Further, since SSI payments are reduced by other income, applicants and recipients must apply for any other money benefits due them. The Social Security Administration works with recipients and helps them get any other benefits for which they are eligible. Persons who are disabled because of drug addiction or alcoholism must accept appropriate treatment for their addictions as a condition of SSI eligibility. Additionally, except for children of military personnel, persons outside of the United States for a month are not eligible for SSI. Blind or disabled children of military personnel who accompany their parents to overseas duty stations may be eligible for SSI if they were eligible in the month before they left the United States. People who get SSI checks can get Social Security checks, too, if they are eligible for them. However, a person cannot get SSI payments and participate in the AFDC program. If a parent or child is eligible under both programs, the parent can choose whichever best suits the family. Residents of public institutions for a full calendar month are ineligible for SSI unless one of the following exceptions applies: 1. The public institution is a medical treatment facility and Medicaid pays more than 50 percent of the cost of care. 2. The individual is residing in a publicly operated community residence which serves no more than 16 residents. Such a facility must provide an alternative living arrangement to a large institution and be residential (i.e., not a correctional, educational or medical facility). 3. The public institution is a public emergency shelter for the homeless. Such a facility provides food, a place to sleep, and some services to homeless individuals on a temporary basis. Payments to a resident of a public emergency shelter for the homeless are limited to no more than 6 months in any 9-month period. 4. The individual is in a public institution primarily to receive educational or vocational training. To qualify, the training must be an approved program and must be designed to prepare an individual for gainful employment. 5. The individual was eligible for SSI under one of the special provisions of section 1619 of the Social Security Act (see section on Special SSI Benefits, Medicaid Services, and Related Provisions for the Working Disabled) in the month preceding the first full month of residency in a medical or psychiatric institution which agrees to permit the individual to retain benefit payments. Payment may be made for the first full month of institutionalization and the subsequent month. 6. A physician certifies that the recipient's stay in a medical facility is likely not to exceed 3 months and the recipient needs to continue to maintain and provide for the expenses of the home to which he may return. Payments may be made for up to the first 3 months of institutionalization. ELIGIBILITY OF SSI RECIPIENTS FOR SOCIAL SECURITY SSI law requires that SSI applicants file for all other benefits for which they may be entitled. Since its inception SSI has been viewed as the ``program of last resort.'' That is, after evaluating all other income, SSI pays what is necessary to bring an individual to the statutorily prescribed income ``floor.'' As of September 1993, 40.7 percent of all SSI recipients also received Social Security benefits (65 percent of aged SSI recipients). Social Security benefits are the single highest source of income for SSI recipients. The SSI program considers Social Security benefits unearned income and thus counts all but $20 monthly in determining the SSI benefit amount. ELIGIBILITY OF SSI RECIPIENTS FOR AFDC An individual cannot receive both SSI payments and AFDC benefits and, if eligible for both, must choose which benefit to receive. Generally, the AFDC agency encourages individuals to file for SSI and, once the SSI payments start, the individual is removed from the AFDC filing unit. ELIGIBILITY OF SSI RECIPIENTS FOR MEDICAID States have three options as to how they treat SSI recipients in relation to Medicaid eligibility. Section 1634 of SSI law allows the Social Security Administration to enter into agreements with States to cover all SSI recipients with Medicaid eligibility. SSI recipients are not required to make a separate application for Medicaid under this arrangement. Thirty-one States and the District of Columbia chose this option, and SSI recipients in these States account for approximately 79 percent of all SSI recipients nationwide. Under the second option, States elect to provide Medicaid eligibility for all SSI recipients, but only if the recipient completes a separate application with the State agency which administers the Medicaid program. The seven States of Alaska, Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska, Nevada, Oregon, and Utah and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands affecting about 2.4 percent of SSI recipients nationwide, have elected this option. The third and most restrictive option is known as the ``209(b)'' option, under which States may impose Medicaid eligibility criteria which are more restrictive than SSI criteria, so long as the criteria chosen are not more restrictive than the State's approved Medicaid State plan in January 1972. The 209(b) States may be more restrictive in defining blindness or disability, and/or more restrictive in their financial requirements for eligibility, and/or require a Medicaid application with the State. However, aged, blind, and disabled SSI recipients who are Medicaid applicants must be allowed to spend-down in 209(b) States, regardless of whether or not the State has a medically needy program. Twelve States use the 209(b) option for Medicaid coverage of aged, blind, and disabled SSI recipients. About 18.3 percent of the SSI recipient population nationwide lives in these 209(b) States. The 12 States that use this option are: Connecticut Minnesota North Dakota Hawaii Missouri Ohio Illinois New Hampshire Oklahoma Indiana North Carolina Virginia An amendment included in the 1986 SSI disability amendments (P.L. 99-643) required, effective July 1, 1987, that 209(b) States continue Medicaid coverage for individuals in section 1619 status if they had been eligible for Medicaid for the month preceding their becoming eligible under section 1619. The same legislation required States to provide for continued Medicaid coverage for those individuals who lose their eligibility for SSI on or after July 1, 1987 when their income increases because they become newly eligible for Social Security benefits as an adult who became disabled as a child (disabled adult child) or because of an increase in their benefits as an adult who became disabled as a child. ``Disabled adult children'' who otherwise would be eligible for SSI continue to be considered SSI recipients for Medicaid purposes. Protection against loss of Medicaid also is provided for certain blind or disabled individuals who lose their SSI benefits when they qualify for Social Security disabled widow or widower's benefits beginning as early as age 50. The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 provides that such individuals, who otherwise would continue to qualify for SSI on the basis of blindness or disability, will be deemed to be SSI recipients for purposes of Medicaid eligibility until they become eligible for Medicare Hospital Insurance. This provision has been effective since January 1, 1991. ELIGIBILITY OF SSI RECIPIENTS FOR FOOD STAMPS Except in California, which has converted food stamp benefits to cash that is included in the State supplementary payments, SSI recipients may be eligible to receive food stamps. SSI beneficiaries living alone or in a household where all other members of the household receive or are applying for SSI benefits can file for food stamps at an SSA office. If allhousehold members receive SSI, they do not need to meet the food stamp program financial eligibility standards to participate in the program because they are categorically eligible. However, SSI beneficiaries living in households where other household members do not receive or are not applying for SSI benefits are referred to the local food stamp office to file for food stamps. These households must meet the net income eligibility standard of the food stamp program to be eligible for food stamp benefits. The interaction with the food stamp program has important financial implications for a State which desires to increase the income of its SSI recipients by $1. Because food stamps are reduced by $0.30 for each additional $1 of SSI income including State supplements, the State must expend $1.43 to obtain an effective $1 increase in SSI recipients' total income. INCOME EXCLUSIONS Under the program, $20 of monthly income from virtually any source (such as Social Security benefits, but not need-tested income such as veterans' pensions) is excluded from countable income (total income minus exclusions). In addition, the first $65 of monthly earned income plus one-half of remaining earnings are excluded. Income received in sheltered workshops and work activity centers is considered earned income and qualifies for earned income exclusions. Table 6-2 shows the maximum income that an individual and couple can have and still remain eligible for Federal SSI benefits under the regular Federal SSI benefit standards--taking into account these income exclusions. Work-related expenses are disregarded in the case of blind applicants or recipients and impairment-related work expenses are disregarded in the case of disabled applicants or recipients. The SSI program also does not count income and/or resources that are set aside as part of an approved plan to achieve self- support (PASS). A PASS is an income and/or resource exclusion that allows a person who is blind or disabled to set aside income and/or resources for a work goal. The money set aside can be used to pay for such items or services as education, vocational training, or starting a business. SSI law requires that an SSI applicant or recipient apply for all other benefits for which they are eligible. For example, in September 1993, 65 percent of the aged, 32 percent of the disabled, and 37 percent of the blind receiving SSI were also Social Security recipients. The value of any in-kind assistance is counted as income unless such in-kind assistance is specifically excluded by statute. Generally, in-kind assistance provided by or under the auspices of a federally assisted program, or by a State or local government (for example, nutrition, food stamps, housing or social services), will not be counted as income. As described later, if an SSI applicant or recipient is living in the household of another and receiving in-kind support and maintenance from him or her, the SSI benefit standard for such an individual will be reduced by one-third of the Federal SSI benefit standard. By regulation, the Social Security Administration has also provided that the value of any in-kind support and maintenance received (other than in the case of those receiving in-kind assistance by reason of living in another's household), is presumed to be equal to one-third of the Federal SSI benefit standard plus $20. The individual can rebut this presumption. If it is determined that the actual value is less than the one-third amount, the lower actual value will be counted as unearned income. In-kind support and maintenance provided by a private nonprofit organization to aged, blind, or disabled individuals is excluded under the SSI program if the State determines that the assistance is provided on the basis of need. Another exclusion from income is certain types of assistance provided to help meet home energy needs. Assistance provided to an aged, blind, or disabled individual for the purpose of meeting home energy costs either in cash or in kind and which is furnished by a home heating oil or gas supplier or by a utility company is to be excluded. Assistance for home energy costs provided in-kind by a private nonprofit organization is also excluded. As countable income increases, a recipient's SSI benefit amount decreases. Ineligibility for SSI occurs when countable income equals the Federal benefit standard plus the amount of applicable federally administered State supplementation. TABLE 6-2.--MAXIMUM INCOME FOR ELIGIBILITY FOR FEDERAL SSI BENEFITS, 1994 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Receiving only Social Receiving only wage Security income ----------------------------------------------- Monthly Annually Monthly Annually ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Individual.............. $466 $5,592 $977 $11,724 Couple.................. 689 8,268 1,423 17,076 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Source: Supplemental Security Income, Social Security Administration. RESOURCES SSI eligibility is restricted to qualified persons who have countable resources not exceeding $2,000, or $3,000 in the case of married couples. The Deficit Reduction Act of 1984 (P.L. 98- 369) increased the countable assets limit by $100 a year for an individual and $150 a year for a couple, beginning in calendar year 1985 and each year through calendar year 1989. Prior to January 1, 1985, the assets limit for an individual was $1,500 and $2,250 for a couple. In determining countable resources, a number of items are not included, such as the individual's home; and, within reasonable limits set by the Secretary of Health and Human Services: household goods, personal effects, an automobile, and a burial space for the individual, spouse, and members of the immediate family. Regulations place a limit of $2,000 in equity value on excluded household goods and personal effects and exclude the first $4,500 in current market value of an auto (100 percent of the auto's value if it is used to obtain medical treatment or for employment or has been modified for use by or transportation of a handicapped person or is necessary to perform essential daily activities because of distance, climate or terrain). The value of property which is used in a person's trade, or business, or by the person as an employee is also excluded. The value of certain other property that produces income, goods or services essential to a person's self-support may be excluded within limits set by the Secretary in regulations. SSI and Social Security retroactive benefit payments may not be considered as a resource for a period of 6 months after the month in which the retroactive benefit is received. Resources set aside under a PASS are also excluded. The cash surrender value of life insurance policies if the total face value of all policies on an individual's life is $1,500 or less are not counted toward the $2,000 or $3,000 countable resources limit. The entire cash surrender value of life insurance policies if the total face value of all policies on an individual's life is greater than $1,500 counts toward the resources limit, but may be excludable under one of the other resource provisions. An individual and spouse may have excluded up to $1,500 each of burial funds. However, the $1,500 maximum amount is reduced by the face value of any excluded life insurance policies and the value of any irrevocable burial contracts, trusts or arrangements. If left to accumulate, interest earned on excluded burial funds and burial spaces is not countable as either income or resources for SSI purposes. Current law provides that as of July 1, 1988, an individual who gives away or sells any nonexcludable resource for less than fair market value will no longer be subject to a penalty for such a transfer. However, such a transfer may make the individual ineligible for certain Medicaid covered nursing services. SSA must notify individuals of the penalty and provide information upon request to the States regarding transfers of resources. The Deficit Reduction Act of 1984 (P.L. 98-369) requires the Internal Revenue Service to furnish the Social Security Administration with certain nonwage information about SSI recipients. The IRS information consists primarily of reports of interest payments submitted to IRS by financial institutions but also includes income from dividends, unemployment compensation, etc. The purpose of the provision was to assist in alerting the Social Security Administration of the potential ownership by SSI recipients of bank accounts in excess of the SSI countable resources limit. In fiscal year 1987, computer matches between IRS tax files and SSI records resulted in 239,000 such matches. Only cases involving IRS reports of interest income of $51 or more were examined. The resulting savings to the SSI program were $64 million. As a result of the Social Security Administration's evaluation of these cases, the tolerance level was lowered to $41 beginning with fiscal year 1988 and 398,000 matches were identified. In fiscal year 1989, the matches totaled 508,000. SSA has evaluated and adjusted the tolerance levels several times over the years. Effective October 1993, the tolerance level for income from resources-- e.g., interest and dividends--is $60. The tolerance level for other nonwage income not from resources--e.g., unemployment compensation and pensions--is $1,000. Also, a special tolerance was developed for cases that had been matched before; if the current year's resources are less than $10 more than the prior year's resource indicators, the IRS report is not examined. All match information is sent to Social Security offices for verification of the information. For fiscal year 1993 there were about 413,000 matches. (The results of a study which will include an estimate of savings for the 1993 matches is not expected until the summer of 1994.) Prior to the 1984 Deficit Reduction Act, if in any month a recipient's assets exceeded the asset limit, the individual was ineligible for benefits in that month and the entire amount of the benefit paid for that month was considered an overpayment subject to recovery. Effective 1984, SSI law provides that in cases where there is an overpayment based on an excess of assets of $50 or less, the recipient is deemed to be without fault for purposes of waiving the overpayment and the overpayment is not recovered unless the Secretary finds that the failure to report the excess was knowing and willful on the part of the recipient. An individual may receive SSI benefits for a limited time even though he has certain nonliquid property that, if counted, would make him ineligible. These benefits are conditioned upon the disposal of the property, and are subject to recovery as overpayments when the property is sold. The 1987 Budget Reconciliation Act provides, in addition, for the exclusion of real property, for so long as it cannot be sold, because it is jointly owned and sale would cause undue hardship to the joint owner due to loss of housing; has legal impediments to its sale; or where reasonable efforts to sell it have been unsuccessful. SSI BENEFITS Individuals and couples applying for or receiving SSI benefits are determined to be eligible or to remain eligible if their countable income does not exceed certain levels, and they meet all other eligibility requirements. Federal SSI benefit standard The Federal SSI benefit standard for an individual for 1994 is $446 a month and $669 for a couple. As is discussed later, most States supplement the Federal SSI benefit. The result is a combined Federal SSI/State supplemented benefit against which countable income is compared in determining eligibility and benefit amount. However, many States limit their supplementation to certain categories of individuals based on specific indicators of need--especially special housing needs. In December 1993, 348,335 persons, or 5.8 percent of all SSI recipients, were eligible for benefits only because (federally- administered) State supplementation increased the benefit. The Federal SSI benefits are indexed to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and by the same percentage as Social Security benefits. This occurs through a reference in the SSI law to the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) provision. Prior to the Social Security Amendments of 1983 (Public Law 98- 21), the SSI and Social Security cost-of-living increases occurred in benefits paid in July. Public Law 98-21 delayed the Social Security and SSI COLA's from July 1983 to January 1984. However, in lieu of a COLA increase in the SSI benefit standard in July 1983, the Federal SSI benefit was increased in July, 1983, by $20 a month for an individual and $30 a month for a couple. Table 6-3 shows the Federal SSI benefit from the beginning of the SSI program until the present time. Living in the household of another The SSI law provides that if an SSI applicant or recipient is ``living in another person's household and receiving support and maintenance in-kind from such person,'' the Federal SSI benefit applicable to such individual or couple is two-thirds of the regular Federal SSI benefit. As shown in table 6-3, the Federal SSI benefit in 1994 for those determined to be living in the household of another is $297.34 for an individual and $446 for a couple. TABLE 6-3.--FEDERAL SSI BENEFIT LEVELS [In dollars] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Eligibility status ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Own household Household of another Date Medicaid --------------------------------------------------------- institution Essential Essential Single Couple person Single Couple person ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Initial.................................. 25.00 130.00 195.00 65.00 86.67 130.00 43.34 Jan. 1974................................ 25.00 140.00 210.00 70.00 93.34 140.00 46.67 July 1974................................ 25.00 146.00 219.00 73.00 97.34 146.00 48.67 July 1975................................ 25.00 157.70 236.60 78.90 105.14 157.74 52.60 July 1976................................ 25.00 167.80 251.80 84.00 111.87 167.87 56.00 July 1977................................ 25.00 177.80 266.70 89.00 118.54 177.80 59.34 July 1978................................ 25.00 189.40 284.10 94.80 126.27 189.40 63.20 July 1979................................ 25.00 208.20 312.30 104.20 138.80 208.20 69.47 July 1980................................ 25.00 238.00 357.00 119.20 158.67 238.00 79.47 July 1981................................ 25.00 264.70 397.00 132.60 176.47 264.67 88.40 July 1982................................ 25.00 284.30 426.40 142.50 189.54 284.27 95.00 July 1983................................ 25.00 304.30 456.40 152.50 202.87 304.27 101.67 Jan. 1984\1\............................. 25.00 314.00 472.00 157.00 209.34 314.67 104.67 Jan. 1985................................ 25.00 325.00 488.00 163.00 216.67 325.34 108.67 Jan. 1986................................ 25.00 336.00 504.00 168.00 224.00 336.00 112.00 Jan. 1987................................ 25.00 340.00 510.00 170.00 226.67 340.00 113.34 Jan. 1988................................ 25.00 354.00 532.00 177.00 236.00 354.67 118.00 Jan. 1989................................ 30.00 368.00 553.00 184.00 245.34 368.67 122.67 Jan. 1990................................ 30.00 386.00 579.00 193.00 257.34 386.00 128.67 Jan. 1991................................ 30.00 407.00 610.00 204.00 271.34 406.67 136.00 Jan. 1992................................ 30.00 422.00 633.00 211.00 281.34 422.00 140.67 Jan. 1993................................ 30.00 434.00 652.00 217.00 289.34 434.67 144.67 Jan. 1994................................ 30.00 446.00 669.00 223.00 297.34 446.00 148.67 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\Cost-of-living adjustments to Federal SSI benefit levels are rounded to the next lower whole dollar beginning with the increase effective January 1984. Source: Office of Research and Statistics, Social Security Administration. Regulations specify the criteria for determining when this reduced benefit applies. It does not apply to an individual who owns or rents; buys food separately; eats meals out rather than eating with the household; or pays a pro rata share of the household's food and shelter expenses. In September 1993, 5.3 percent, or about 313,100 SSI recipients, had their benefits determined on the basis of this ``one-third reduction'' benefit standard. Sixty-five percent of those recipients were receiving benefits on the basis of disability (see table 6-4). Of the 26 States and the District of Columbia that provide optional supplements to the Federal SSI benefit, 9 States and the District of Columbia provide the same amount of supplementation for those whose Federal SSI benefit amount is determined on the basis of the ``one-third reduction.'' Eight States provide a higher State supplementation for such recipients; in six States the amount of State supplementation is less; two States provide no supplementation for those recipients; and one State's supplementation varies depending upon need. Medicaid institution/personal needs allowance When an individual enters a hospital or other medical institution in which more than half of the bill is paid by the Medicaid program, his or her monthly SSI benefit standard is reduced to $30, beginning with the first full calendar month the individual is in such institution. This Personal Needs Allowance (PNA) is intended to take care of small personal expenses, with the cost of maintenance and medical care being provided through Medicaid. The Federal PNA benefit of $25 was increased to $30 a month on July 1, 1988--the first increase since the SSI program began in 1974. The annual cost-of-living increase for SSI does not apply to the personal needs allowance. The 1987 Budget Reconciliation Act does, however, provide that if a physician certifies that a person's stay in such a medical institution is not likely to exceed 3 months and the person needs to continue to maintain a home to which he or she may return, the SSI benefits will not be reduced and he or she will continue to receive the full SSI benefit for up to the first 3 months of institutionalization. Approximately 165,400 or 2.8 percent of SSI recipients received benefits in September, 1993, on the basis of this personal needs allowance. For those individuals whose income from non-SSI sources exceeds the $30 benefit standard (including those who previously, when they were not living in a medical institution, were receiving some SSI because their Social Security benefits were less than the regular SSI benefit), Medicaid regulations require States to allow such individuals (and other non-SSI Medicaid eligibles) to retain no less than $30 a month of their income as a ``personal needs allowance'' when their income is applied, along with Medicaid reimbursement, to pay for their institutional medical care. Sixteen State programs have exercised their option to supplement this Federal SSI benefit. Prior to the 1985 Budget Reconciliation Act, SSI regulations would not allow for Federal administration of the State supplements of these payments. An amendment included in that legislation now requires the Social Security Administration, at the request of a State, to administer such State supplementary payments. As of December 1993, California, the District of Columbia, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont had opted for Federal administration. Approximately 24 States allow some or all of those individuals affected by the Medicaid personal needs allowance regulations to retain more than $30 a month. Another benefit affecting some persons involves Federal payments to an individual who was transferred to SSI from a former State program of aid to the aged, blind or disabled. The Federal benefits of these persons are increased by up to $223 monthly in 1994 to take into account an ``essential person'' living in the household. An essential person is generally an ineligible spouse or relative whose needs were considered in determining the requirements of an eligible individual under the former State program but who is not eligible for SSI. Some States have categories of State supplementation similar to the ``essential persons'' category for individuals transferred from the pre-SSI program. TABLE 6-4.--NUMBER AND PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION OF PERSONS RECEIVING FEDERALLY ADMINISTERED PAYMENTS, BY REASON FOR ELIGIBILITY AND FEDERAL SSI BENEFIT STANDARD/LIVING ARRANGEMENT, SEPTEMBER 1993 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Reason for eligibility Federal benefit standard/ Total ------------------------------ living arrangement\1\ Aged Blind Disabled ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Total number.................. 5,907,605 1,473,531 85,885 4,348,189 ========================================= Total percent............. 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 ----------------------------------------- Federal SSI benefit standard.. 91.9 90.5 91.4 92.4 Living in the household-of- another Federal SSI benefit standard..................... 5.3 7.0 5.6 4.7 Medicaid institution/personal needs allowance Federal SSI benefit standard............. 2.8 2.6 3.0 2.8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ \1\As used for determination of Federal SSI payment standard. Source: Office of Research and Statistics, Social Security Administration. DEEMING OF INCOME AND RESOURCES The income of an ineligible spouse who lives with an adult SSI applicant or recipient is considered in determining the eligibility and amount of payment to the individual. The income of the parents of a child under the age of 18 who is blind or disabled is also considered in determining the eligibility and payment for the child. However, effective June 1, 1990, children with disabilities who are eligible for Medicaid at home under State home care plans, who previously received SSI personal needs allowances while in medical institutions, and who otherwise would be ineligible for SSI because of their parents' income or resources, can receive the $30 monthly personal needs allowance that would be payable if they were institutionalized, without regard to their parents' income and resources. The law also provides that deeming of income and resources shall occur ``except to the extent determined by the Secretary to be inequitable under the circumstances''. By regulation, the Secretary of HHS has provided that in determining the amount of the income of the ineligible spouse or parent to be deemed to the SSI applicant or recipient, the needs of the spouse or parent and other children in the household are taken into account. In addition, the SSI earned and unearned income exclusions are applied in determining the amount of income to be deemed to the SSI applicant or recipient. If the combined countable income of an SSI applicant and an ineligible spouse does not exceed the SSI benefit standard for an eligible couple in that State (including any federally-administered State supplementary payment), the SSI applicant would be eligible to receive an SSI and/or State supplementary benefit. For example, in a State with no State supplementation the deeming procedure would work as follows in the case of an ineligible spouse earning $520 per month living with an eligible individual with $200 of Social Security benefits: Unearned income of eligible individual..................... $200.00 Less $20 exclusion......................................... -20.00 ------------ Countable unearned income............................ 180.00 ============ Earned income of ineligible individual..................... 520.00 Less $65 earned income disregard........................... -65.00 Less one-half of remaining earnings ($455)................. -227.50 ------------ Countable earned income.............................. 227.50 Plus countable unearned income............................. 180.00 ------------ Couple's total countable income...................... 407.50 ============ SSI payment standard for couples........................... 669.00 Less countable income...................................... -407.50 ------------ Benefit payable to eligible individual............... 261.50 Thus the benefit for the eligible individual will be $261.50. Without deeming, the individual would have received $266 [$446-($200 less $20 exclusion)]. The $20 exclusion can only be used once and is first applied to unearned income, which in this example is the $200 of Social Security income. An individual's resources are deemed to include those of the ineligible spouse (or in the case of a child under the age of 18, those of the parents) with whom the individual is living. Under the Secretary's regulations, in determining the amount of the spouse's or parents' resources that can be deemed, all applicable exclusions are applied. In the case of a child, only the value of the parents' resources that exceeds the applicable limits ($2,000 for a single parent, and $3,000 for two parents) is deemed to the child. In a study conducted in December 1989, there were about 92,700 cases in which deeming reduced benefits. Some 71,180 were spouse-to-spouse and 21,520 were parent-to-child cases. This does not take into account, however, the number of individuals who were not eligible because of the deeming provision. In determining the eligibility of aliens applying for SSI, the income and resources of their sponsors are considered. After income and resources allowances for the needs of the sponsors and income allowances for their dependents, the remainder is deemed available for the support of the alien applicant. Prior to January 1, 1994, the remainder was deemed available for a 3-year period after the alien's entry into the United States. Effective January 1, 1994, through September 30, 1996, the remainder is deemed available for a 5-year period after the alien's entry into the United States. Under current law, the deeming period will revert to 3 years again on October 1, 1996. This provision does not apply to those who become blind or disabled after admission as a permanent resident, to refugees, and to persons granted political asylum. OVERPAYMENTS A provision in the 1984 Deficit Reduction Act established a limit on the rate that overpayments made to SSI recipients can be recovered. SSI law limits the amount of adjustment or recovery in any month to the lesser of: (1) the amount of the benefit for that month; or (2) an amount equal to 10 percent of the countable income (plus the SSI payment) of the individual (or couple) for that month. This limitation does not apply if there is fraud in connection with the overpayment. The recipient may request a different rate at which benefits may be withheld to recover the overpayment. STATE SUPPLEMENTATION State supplementary payments are required by law to maintain income levels of former public assistance recipients transferred to the Federal SSI program. In February 1994, approximately 3,400 recipients or less than 0.1 percent of all recipients were receiving payments based in part or solely because of this provision. States have the option to choose to supplement the Federal SSI benefit standard for both former public assistance recipients and other SSI recipients. At the present time, all but eight States and jurisdictions provide some form of optional State supplementation. Those are: Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia. States (or local jurisdictions) may elect to administer their supplementary payments themselves or may contract with the Social Security Administration for Federal administration. Seventeen States and the District of Columbia have contracted with the Social Security Administration to administer the State optional supplementation program. Since the SSI program began in 1974, six States have shifted from Federal to State administration of their optional State supplementation program. Administrative fees The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 amended the State supplementation provision to provide for State payment for Federal administration of State supplementary payments. For fiscal year 1994 (i.e., from October 1, 1993 through September 30, 1994), a State with federally administered supplementary payments pays the Secretary an administration fee of $1.67 per payment. The rate per payment changes to $3.33 for fiscal year 1995, and $5.00 for fiscal year 1996 and each succeeding year, or a different rate deemed appropriate for the State by the Secretary. State SSI supplement levels over time Throughout the entire period from July, 1975, to January, 1994, 23 States have continuously provided supplemental SSI payments to aged individuals living independently, and 21 States continuously supplemented SSI payments to aged couples living independently. During the period of July, 1975, to January, 1994, no State increased supplements faster than inflation for aged individuals living independently (see table 6-5). The District of Columbia, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming all began supplementing SSI payments to individuals between 1975 and 1980. Among the States which have supplemented SSI payments for aged couples living independently, only Alaska and Minnesota have kept their supplemental increases equivalent to or higher than inflation (see table 6-6). Other States have allowed inflation to erode the purchasing power of supplements or have reduced them in the face of State fiscal problems. Approximately 44 percent of SSI recipients receive a State supplement. For those SSI recipients, other than those receiving a State supplement because they are living in some type of group living arrangement, the amount of State supplement ranges from $1 a month to $374 a month for an individual. At present, 26 States and the District of Columbia supplement the Federal standard for individuals living independently. TABLE 6-5.--STATE SSI SUPPLEMENTS FOR AGED INDIVIDUALS WITHOUT COUNTABLE INCOME LIVING INDEPENDENTLY\1\ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Percent change State July July Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. (constant 1975 1980 1985 1988 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 dollars) 1975-94\1\ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alaska\2\........................... $142 $235 $261 $305 $331 $349 $362 $374 $374 -2 California.......................... 101 164 179 221 244 223 223 186 157 -42 Colorado............................ 27 55 58 58 58 45 56 56 56 -23 Connecticut\3\...................... NA NA NA 393 366 359 325 \3\NA NA NA District of Columbia................ 0 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 NA Hawaii.............................. 17 15 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 -89 Idaho............................... 63 74 78 73 73 70 70 65 45 -74 Illinois\3\......................... NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA Maine............................... 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 -63 Massachusetts....................... 111 137 129 129 129 129 129 129 129 -57 Michigan............................ 12 24 27 30 30 31 14 14 14 -57 Minnesota\4\........................ 31 34 35 35 75 81 81 81 81 -3 Nebraska............................ 67 75 61 43 38 24 30 28 28 -85 Nevada.............................. 55 47 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 -76 New Hampshire....................... 12 46 27 27 27 27 27 27 27 -17 New Jersey.......................... 24 23 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 -52 New York............................ 61 63 61 72 86 86 86 86 86 -48 Oklahoma............................ 27 79 60 64 64 64 64 60 60 -18 Oregon.............................. 17 12 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 -96 Pennsylvania........................ 20 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 -41 Rhode Island........................ 31 42 54 59 64 64 67 64 64 -24 South Dakota........................ 0 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 NA Utah................................ 0 10 10 9 6 6 5 5 1 NA Vermont............................. 29 41 53 58 63 65 65 57 55 -30 Washington\5\....................... 36 43 38 28 28 28 28 28 28 -71 Wisconsin........................... 70 100 100 103 103 103 92 93 85 -55 Wyoming............................. 0 20 20 20 20 20 20 10 10 NA --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Median............................ 31 43 36 36 37 36 32 31 31 -63 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\The percentage change in constant dollars was computed by inflating July 1975 to January 1994 by the CPI-U price index. The July 1975 index value is 54.2 and the January 1994 value is 146.2. \2\1975 and 1980--less if shelter costs less than $35 monthly. \3\State decides benefit on a case-by-case basis. \4\State has two geographic payment levels--Hennepin County and the remainder of Minnesota. Level shown is for Hennepin County, the area with the largest number of SSI recipients. \5\State has two geographic payment levels--highest levels are shown in table. Sum paid in King, Pierce, Kitsap, Snohomish, and Thurston Counties. Source: Office of Supplemental Security Income, Social Security Administration, and Committee on Ways and Means staff calculations. TABLE 6-6.--STATE SSI SUPPLEMENTS FOR AGED COUPLES WITHOUT COUNTABLE INCOME LIVING INDEPENDENTLY ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Percent change State July July Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. (constant 1975 1980 1985 1988 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 dollars) 1975-94\1\ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alabama............................. $9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -100 Alaska\2\........................... 183 $338 $371 $444 $484 $510 $528 $544 $544 +10 California.......................... 251 389 448 534 588 557 557 488 440 -35 Colorado............................ 133 229 278 292 309 293 323 328 323 -10 Connecticut\3\...................... NA NA NA 602 525 522 461 \3\NA NA NA District of Columbia................ 0 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 NA Hawaii.............................. 28 24 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 -88 Idaho............................... 49 80 46 44 45 44 45 40 21 -84 Illinois\3\......................... NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA Maine............................... 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 -63 Massachusetts....................... 173 214 202 202 202 202 202 202 202 -57 Michigan............................ 18 36 40 45 45 46 21 21 21 -57 Minnesota\4\........................ 38 44 66 66 88 132 129 126 126 +23 Nebraska............................ 67 114 89 66 65 34 48 39 39 -78 Nevada.............................. 106 90 74 74 74 74 74 74 74 -74 New Hampshire....................... 0 42 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 NA New Jersey.......................... 13 12 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 -29 New York............................ 76 79 76 93 102 103 103 102 102 -50 Oklahoma............................ 54 158 120 128 128 128 128 120 102 -18 Oregon.............................. 17 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -100 Pennsylvania........................ 30 49 49 49 49 49 49 49 49 -39 Rhode Island........................ 59 79 102 111 120 121 127 120 120 -25 South Dakota........................ 0 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 NA Utah................................ 0 20 20 18 12 12 11 10 5 NA Vermont............................. 61 76 96 106 115 118 118 110 103 -37 Washington\5\....................... 40 44 37 22 22 22 22 22 22 -80 Wisconsin........................... 105 161 161 166 166 166 146 146 134 -53 Wyoming............................. 0 40 40 40 40 40 40 19 19 NA --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Median............................ 57 63 66 66 65 49 49 30 39 -75 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\The percentage change in constant dollars was computed by inflating July 1975 to January 1994 by the CPI-U price index. The July 1975 index value is 54.2 and the January 1994 value is 146.2. \2\1975 and 1980--less if shelter costs less than $35 monthly. \3\State decides benefit on a case-by-case basis. \4\State has various geographic payment levels. Level shown is for Hennepin County, the area with the largest number of SSI recipients. \5\State has two geographic payment levels--highest levels are shown in table. Sum paid in King, Pierce, Kitsap, Snohomish, and Thurston Counties. Source: Office of Supplemental Security Income, Social Security Administration. MAXIMUM SSI AND FOOD STAMP BENEFITS FOR INDIVIDUALS LIVING INDEPENDENTLY Table 6-7 for individuals living independently and table 6- 8 for couples illustrate the maximum potential payment from Federal SSI, State supplements and food stamps for persons with no income, by State. These tables assume that the elderly individual or couple receive an excess shelter deduction of $207 (the maximum for nonelderly) and an excess medical cost deduction of $13 in the food stamp program. Approximately 64 percent of the elderly in the food stamp program take a shelter deduction, and it is estimated that approximately 17 percent of the elderly are allowed a deduction that exceeds the excess shelter expense ceiling for nonelderly or nondisabled households ($207 per month). However, since only 13 percent of the elderly claim a medical cost deduction, the $13 average of medical cost deductions averaged over all elderly recipients was chosen. Since only 17 percent of all elderly claimed more than the shelter cost deduction ceiling, the shelter deduction ceiling was chosen. TABLE 6-7.--MAXIMUM POTENTIAL SSI AND FOOD STAMP BENEFITS FOR AGED INDIVIDUALS LIVING INDEPENDENTLY, JANUARY 1994\1\ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Combined benefits Maximum SSI Food stamp ------------------- State benefit benefit\2\ Monthly Annual ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alabama.................. $446 $83 $529 $6,348 Alaska................... 820 79 899 10,788 Arizona.................. 446 83 529 6,348 Arkansas................. 446 83 529 6,348 California............... 603 \3\0 603 7,236 Colorado................. 502 66 568 6,816 Connecticut.............. \4\NA NA NA NA Delaware................. 446 83 529 6,348 District of Columbia..... 461 79 540 6,480 Florida.................. 446 83 529 6,348 Georgia.................. 446 83 529 6,348 Hawaii................... 451 187 638 7,656 Idaho.................... \5\491 76 567 6,804 Illinois................. \6\NA NA NA NA Indiana.................. 446 83 529 6,348 Iowa..................... 446 83 529 6,348 Kansas................... 446 83 529 6,348 Kentucky................. 446 83 529 6,348 Louisiana................ 446 83 529 6,348 Maine.................... 456 80 536 6,432 Maryland................. 446 83 529 6,348 Massachusetts............ 575 44 619 7,428 Michigan................. 460 79 539 6,468 Minnesota................ \7\527 59 586 7,032 Mississippi.............. 446 83 529 6,348 Missouri................. 446 83 529 6,348 Montana.................. 446 83 529 6,348 Nebraska................. 474 75 549 6,588 Nevada................... 482 72 554 6,648 New Hampshire............ 473 75 548 6,576 New Jersey............... 477 74 551 6,612 New Mexico............... 446 83 529 6,348 New York................. 532 57 589 7,068 North Carolina........... 446 83 529 6,348 North Dakota............. 446 83 529 6,348 Ohio..................... 446 83 529 6,348 Oklahoma................. 506 65 571 6,852 Oregon................... 448 82 530 6,360 Pennsylvania............. 478 73 551 6,612 Rhode Island............. 510 64 574 6,888 South Carolina........... 446 83 529 6,348 South Dakota............. 461 79 540 6,480 Tennessee................ 446 83 529 6,348 Texas.................... 446 83 529 6,348 Utah..................... 447 83 530 6,360 Vermont.................. \8\501 67 568 6,816 Virginia................. 446 83 529 6,348 Washington............... \9\474 75 549 6,588 West Virginia............ 446 83 529 6,348 Wisconsin................ 531 57 588 7,056 Wyoming.................. 456 80 536 6,432 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ \1\In most States these maximums apply also to blind or disabled SSI recipients who are living in their own households; but some States provide different benefit schedules for each category. \2\For one-person households, maximum food stamp benefits from Oct. 1993 through Sept. 1994 are $112 in the 48 contiguous States and the District of Columbia, $147 in Alaska (urban areas, benefit levels in rural Alaska are increased by about 50 percent to account for higher food prices in such areas), and $187 in Hawaii. For the 48 contiguous States and D.C., the calculation of benefits assumes: (1) a ``standard'' deduction of $131 per month; (2) an excess shelter deduction of $207 per month (the maximum allowable for nonelderly, nondisabled households); and (3) an excess medical expense deduction of $13 monthly (estimated from 1991 medical expense information). If smaller excess shelter costs were assumed, food stamp benefits would be smaller. For Alaska and Hawaii, higher deduction levels were used, as provided by law ($595 and $493, respectively, for combined standard and excess shelter allowance). \3\SSI recipients in California are ineligible for food stamps. California provides increased cash aid in lieu of stamps. \4\Individual budget process. \5\State disregards $20 of SSI payment in determining the State supplementary payment. \6\State decides benefits on case-by-case basis. \7\Payment level for Hennepin County. State has two geographic payment levels--one for Hennepin County and the other for the remainder of the State. \8\State has two geographic payment levels--highest are shown in table. \9\Sum paid in King, Pierce, Kitsap, Snohomish, and Thurston Counties. Source: Table prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) on the basis of data from the Social Security Administration. TABLE 6-8.--MAXIMUM POTENTIAL SSI AND FOOD STAMP BENEFITS FOR AGED COUPLES LIVING INDEPENDENTLY, JANUARY 1994\1\ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Combined benefits State Maximum SSI Food stamp ------------------- benefit benefit\2\ Monthly Annual ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alabama.................. $669 $110 $779 $9,348 Alaska................... 1,213 85 1,298 15,576 Arizona.................. 669 110 779 9,348 Arkansas................. 669 110 779 9,348 California............... 1,109 \3\0 1,109 13,308 Colorado................. 992 13 1,005 12,060 Connecticut.............. \4\NA NA NA NA Delaware................. 669 110 779 9,348 District of Columbia..... 699 101 800 9,600 Florida.................. 669 110 779 9,348 Georgia.................. 669 110 779 9,348 Hawaii................... 678 287 965 11,580 Idaho.................... \5\690 110 800 9,600 Illinois................. \6\NA NA NA NA Indiana.................. 669 110 779 9,348 Iowa..................... 669 110 779 9,348 Kansas................... 669 110 779 9,348 Kentucky................. 669 110 779 9,348 Louisiana................ 669 110 779 9,348 Maine.................... 684 106 790 9,480 Maryland................. 669 110 779 9,348 Massachusetts............ 871 50 921 11,052 Michigan................. 690 104 794 9,528 Minnesota................ \7\795 72 867 10,404 Mississippi.............. 669 110 779 9,348 Missouri................. 669 110 779 9,348 Montana.................. 669 110 779 9,348 Nebraska................. 708 98 806 9,672 Nevada................... 743 88 831 9,972 New Hampshire............ 690 104 794 9,528 New Jersey............... 694 103 797 9,564 New Mexico............... 669 110 779 9,348 New York................. 771 79 850 10,200 North Carolina........... 669 110 779 9,348 North Dakota............. 669 110 779 9,348 Ohio..................... 669 110 779 9,348 Oklahoma................. 789 74 863 10,356 Oregon................... 669 110 779 9,348 Pennsylvania............. 718 95 813 9,756 Rhode Island............. 789 74 863 10,356 South Carolina........... 669 110 779 9,348 South Dakota............. 684 106 790 9,480 Tennessee................ 669 110 779 9,348 Texas.................... 669 110 779 9,348 Utah..................... 674 109 783 9,396 Vermont.................. \8\772 79 851 10,212 Virginia................. 669 110 779 9,348 Washington............... \9\691 103 794 9,528 West Virginia............ 669 110 779 9,348 Wisconsin................ 803 70 873 10,476 Wyoming.................. 688 104 792 9,504 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ \1\In most States these maximums apply also to blind or disabled SSI recipients who are living in their own households; but some States provide different benefit schedules for each category. \2\For two-person households, maximum food stamp benefits from Oct. 1993 through Sept. 1994 are $206 in the 48 contiguous States and the District of Columbia, $271 in Alaska (urban areas, benefit levels for rural Alaska are about 50 percent higher to account for high food prices in such areas), and $343 in Hawaii. For the 48 contiguous States and D.C., the calculation of benefits assumes: (1) a ``standard'' deduction of $131 per month, (2) an excess shelter deduction of $207 per month (the maximum allowable for nonelderly, nondisabled households); and (3) an excess medical expense deduction of $13 monthly (estimated from 1991 medical expense information). If smaller excess shelter costs were assumed, food stamp benefits would be smaller. For Alaska and Hawaii, higher deduction levels were used, as provided by law ($595 and $493, respectively, for combined standard and excess shelter allowance). \3\SSI recipients in California are ineligible for food stamps. California provides increased cash aid in lieu of stamps. \4\Individual budget process. \5\State disregards $20 monthly of SSI income in determining the State supplementary payment amounts. \6\State decides benefits on case-by-case basis. \7\Payment level for Hennepin County. State has two geographic payment levels--one for Hennepin County and one for the remainder of the State. \8\State has two geographic payment levels--highest levels are shown in table. \9\Sum paid in King, Pierce, Kitsap, Snohomish, and Thurston Counties. Source: Table prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) on the basis of data from the Social Security Administration. State supplementation for special housing needs A significant number of the aged, disabled and blind population receiving SSI cannot live alone because of mental or physical limitations and have a need for housing which involves services beyond room and board. These services often include supervision for daily living and protective services for the mentally retarded, chronically mentally ill, or the frail or confused elderly. Such nonmedical supervised and/or group living arrangements generally cost more than the Federal SSI benefit needs standard of $446 a month and often more than the combined Federal and SSI State supplementation for those classified as living independently. All but 10 of the 50 States and the District of Columbia have Federal or State administered State supplementation which is specifically directed at covering the additional cost of providing housing in a protective, supervised, or group living arrangement. These living arrangements are identified by a variety of terms including: adult foster care homes; domiciliary care homes; congregate care; group homes for the mentally retarded and a variety of other terms. The amount of supplementation by the State also varies a great deal. For example, in the State of Maryland under a State-administered supplementation program, a ``specialized and intensive supervision'' group living facility has a State supplementation of $702 a month in addition to the Federal benefit level of $446. The total Federal and State SSI payment in a month is $1,148. In one State the State supplementation is less than $2 a month for those who need little supervision and care. However, in some States, the cost of supervised group living care is also partially met by direct State funding of the staff. In a number of States, the State makes payments for nonmedical group care directly to private residential facilities based on a rate negotiated by the State with each facility. In such cases, there is often a ``personal needs allowance'' payment made directly to or on behalf of the residents of the facility. COMPARISON OF SSI PAYMENT LEVELS TO POVERTY THRESHOLDS Table 6-9 compares the Federal SSI benefit for a single individual to the Bureau of the Census poverty threshold. Both the poverty threshold and the benefit level are indexed to the Consumer Price Index. (The percentage increase for the poverty threshold and the SSI benefit increase varies slightly because of a difference in the method of calculation.) As a result of Public Law 98-21, the SSI benefit levels were increased by $20 per month for individuals and $30 per month for couples in July 1983. They were further increased by 3.5 percent in January 1984. This explains why SSI benefits, in relation to the poverty level, increased to approximately 75 percent in 1984 and 1985 compared to 71 percent in the 1975 to 1982 period. In 1993, benefit levels were 75.2 percent of the poverty level. Table 6-10 presents the same information for a couple. The SSI benefit for a couple is approximately 90 percent of the poverty threshold. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SSI POPULATION As shown in table 6-12, in September 1993, 5.908 million persons received federally administered SSI payments. Of these, 1.474 million received federally administered payments on the basis of being aged, 4.348 million on the basis of being disabled, and 85,885 on the basis of blindness. However, approximately 636,391 of those receiving benefits on the basis of disability or blindness were over the age of 65. Table 6-12 also indicates that approximately 3.4 million of those receiving federally administered SSI payments only receive Federal SSI payments, 2.2 million receive a combination of federally financed and State financed payments, and 346,271 receive State financed supplementation only. TABLE 6-9.--COMPARISON OF COMBINED BENEFITS TO POVERTY THRESHOLDS FOR ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS RECEIVING SSI; SSI AND SOCIAL SECURITY; AND SSI, SOCIAL SECURITY AND FOOD STAMPS FOR SELECTED YEARS: 1975 TO 1994 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Calendar year-- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1975 1980 1984 1986 1988 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Poverty threshold..... 2,572 3,941 4,980 5,255 5,672 6,268 6,532 6,729 6,930 \1\7,11 7 Federal SSI benefits: Dollars per year.. 1,822 2,677 3,768 4,032 4,248 4,632 4,884 5,064 5,208 5,352 Percent of poverty 70.8 72.3 75.6 76.7 74.9 73.9 74.8 75.3 75.2 75.2 Federal SSI and Social Security: Dollars per year.. 2,062 2,917 4,008 4,272 4,488 4,872 5,124 5,304 5,448 5,592 Percent of poverty 80.2 74.0 80.5 81.3 79.1 77.7 78.4 78.8 78.6 78.6 Federal SSI, Social Security, and food stamps:\2\ Dollars per year.. 2,350 3,345 4,294 4,488 4,848 5,318 5,580 5,820 5,952 6,144 Percent of poverty 91.4 84.9 86.2 85.4 85.5 84.8 85.4 86.5 85.9 86.3 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\Projected on basis of CBO projected increases in the consumer price index. \2\In computing the food stamp benefit for 1975, average deductions among all elderly households are assumed. For later years, the applicable standard deduction plus average shelter and medical deductions among all elderly households is assumed. Source: Congressional Research Service. TABLE 6-10.--COMPARISON OF COMBINED BENEFITS TO POVERTY THRESHOLDS FOR ELIGIBLE COUPLES RECEIVING SSI; SSI AND SOCIAL SECURITY; AND SSI, SOCIAL SECURITY AND FOOD STAMPS FOR SELECTED YEARS: 1975 TO 1994 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Calendar year-- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1975 1980 1984 1986 1988 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Poverty threshold..... 3,232 4,954 6,280 6,628 7,156 7,906 8,238 8,489 8,741 \1\8,97 7 Federal SSI benefits: Dollars per year.. 2,734 4,016 5,664 6,048 6,384 6,948 7,320 7,596 7,824 8,028 Percent of poverty 84.6 81.1 90.2 91.2 89.2 87.9 88.9 89.5 89.5 89.4 Federal SSI and Social Security: Dollars per year.. 2,974 4,256 5,904 6,288 6,624 7,188 7,560 7,836 8,064 8,268 Percent of poverty 92.0 86.0 94.0 94.9 92.6 90.9 91.8 92.3 92.3 92.1 Federal SSI, Social Security, and food stamps:\2\ Dollars per year.. 3,430 4,906 6,393 6,696 7,200 7,935 8,340 8,700 8,880 9,084 Percent of poverty 106.1 99.0 101.8 101.0 100.6 100.4 101.2 102.5 101.6 101.2 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\Projected on basis of CBO projected increases in the consumer price index. \2\In computing the food stamp benefit for 1975, average deductions among all elderly households are assumed. For later years, the applicable standard deduction plus average shelter and medical deductions among all elderly households is assumed. Source: Congressional Research Service. Table 6-13 shows the trends in the numbers of persons receiving federally administered SSI payments from December, 1975, through September, 1993, both by reason for eligibility and by age categories. There was a steady decline in the number of SSI recipients from 1975 until 1983. However, in the last 9 years the number of SSI recipients has increased from about 3.9 million to more than 5.9 million. Characteristics of adult SSI recipients receiving benefits on the basis of disability or blindness Major disabling diagnosis.--As shown in table 6-11, of the SSI disabled ages 18-64, 23.7 percent were eligible on the basis of mental retardation; and 32.2 percent on the basis of other mental disorders. Therefore, over one-half of all SSI disabled recipients are eligible on the basis of a mental disability. The next three largest categories are: diseases of the nervous system and sense organs--8.8 percent; diseases of musculoskeletal and connective tissues--8.7 percent; and diseases of the circulatory system--6.8 percent. Related to the nature of the impairments of the SSI disabled is the fact that in December 1993, 1,145,700 or 30.6 percent of the adult disabled or blind receiving SSI benefits had a representative payee. Representative payees are individuals, agencies or institutions selected by the Social Security Administration to receive and use SSI payments on behalf of the SSI recipient when it has been found necessary by reason of the mental or physical limitations of the recipient. Age.--When a person who is receiving SSI on the basis of blindness or disability becomes age 65, the Social Security Administration does not convert the individual to eligibility on the basis of age. As shown in table 6-14, 17 percent of the SSI adult population receiving benefits on the basis of disability are age 65 or over (28.2 percent of the blind were age 65 or over). Sex.--In January 1994, 55 percent of those receiving SSI benefits on the basis of disability and 56.4 percent on the basis of blindness were women (table 6-15). Race.--In January 1994, 57.6 percent of those receiving SSI on the basis of disability were white; 31.2 percent were black; 7.9 percent were other races; and in 3.4 percent of the cases, race was not reported (table 6-15). Other income.--In September 1993, 32.4 percent of the disabled and 36.9 percent of the blind received Social Security benefits. Table 6-16 shows the number of SSI recipients with other sources of unearned income. Of the blind and disabled receiving SSI, 5.2 percent had earned income in September 1993 (table 6-16). Characteristics of SSI recipients receiving benefits on the basis of age Age.--In September 1993, as shown in table 6-14, of those SSI recipients receiving benefits on the basis of age, i.e., age 65 or older, 35.9 percent were 80 years of age or older. Sex.--In January 1994, as shown in table 6-15, 73.8 percent of those receiving benefits on the basis of age were women. Race.--As shown in table 6-15, 55.4 percent of those receiving SSI on the basis of age were white; 22.0 percent were black; 19.4 percent were other races; and in 3.1 percent of the cases, race was not reported. Other income.--65.1 percent of the SSI recipients receiving benefits on the basis of age also received Social Security benefits. Only 2.1 percent had earned income. Characteristics of children receiving SSI payments In June 1993, 732,000 blind and disabled children were eligible for SSI payments. These children made up 12.6 percent of the over 5.8 million SSI recipients in June, and represent a fast growing segment of the SSI population. By comparison, in December 1980 payments were made to almost 229,000 blind and disabled children (5.5 percent of the 4.1 million recipients in that month). To be eligible for SSI payments as a child, an individual must be under age 18 (or under 22 if he or she is a full time student), unmarried, and must meet the SSI disability or blindness, citizenship/residency, and income and resources criteria [applicable to adults]. In June 1993, almost 61 percent of the SSI children were 12 years old or less, and an estimated 20 percent of the children were under age 6. About 28 percent, an estimated 199,000 children were between the ages of 13 and 17. Child recipients are more likely to be boys than girls, by about three or two. Approximately 46 percent are nonwhite. Three-quarters of the children live in their parents' home. Less than 2 percent are patients in a medical facility where more than half of the cost of their care is covered by the Medicaid program. Another 18 percent live in other hospitals, nursing homes, residential schools, foster care, or independently. About 29 percent of the children had some type of unearned income. The three major types of unearned income were: in-kind support and maintenance (8.2 percent), Social Security benefits (8.1 percent), and support from absent parents (7.2 percent). In addition, about 10 percent of the children had income ``deemed'' from their parents. More than half (61 percent) of the SSI children were medically eligible based on a mental disorder, and most of these (43 percent) were mentally retarded. The only other diagnostic category of any size was diseases of the nervous system and sense organs, which included all of the approximately 9,000 blind children on SSI in June 1993. TABLE 6-11.--DISABILITY DIAGNOSIS OF SSI AND SECTION 1619 DISABILITY RECIPIENTS: JUNE 1993\1\ [Percentage distribution by diagnostic group] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Supplemental Security Income--SSI ------------------------------------------------ All SSI Diagnostic group disabled 18- SSI sec. 1619(a) SSI sec. 1619(b) 64 yrs.\1\ participants\2\ participants\2\ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Individuals............ 2,614,310 18,597 34,293 ================================================ Total percent.... 100.0 100.0 100.0 ------------------------------------------------ Infectious and parasitic diseases.... 1.9 0.9 1.5 Neoplasms.............. 1.7 1.3 1.8 Endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic disorders............. 4.1 2.5 2.6 Mental disorders (other than mental retardation).......... 28.1 26.5 28.1 Mental retardation..... 28.2 43.7 35.8 Diseases of: Nervous system and sense organs\2\... 11.0 13.7 14.6 Circulatory system. 6.1 2.0 2.7 Respiratory system. 2.8 0.8 0.8 Digestive system... 0.7 0.3 0.5 Musculoskeletal system............ 7.6 2.6 4.4 Congenital anomalies... 1.7 0.9 0.7 Injuries............... 3.2 2.6 3.7 Other.................. 2.9 2.2 2.8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ \1\Information on diagnosis of SSI disabled recipients under age 65 is from the December 1992 SSI 10-percent disability file. Information on diagnosis for section 1619 recipients is available from SSI source files. Percentages shown are based on 12,786 section 1619(a) participants, and 22,749 section 1619(b) participants. \2\Most of these section 1619(b) participants who are classified as blind individuals are included in this category. A few section 1619(b) blind participants have a primary impairment other than diseases of the eye and are coded in other categories in this table. Also, there are a few participants classified as having diseases of the eye who are not blind, whose impairment does not meet the definition of blindness, and are classified as disabled. Source: Social Security Administration, OSSI. TABLE 6-12.--NUMBER OF PERSONS RECEIVING FEDERALLY ADMINISTERED PAYMENTS, TOTAL AMOUNT AND AVERAGE MONTHLY AMOUNT, BY SOURCE OF PAYMENT AND CATEGORY, SEPTEMBER 1993 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Source of payment Total Aged Blind Disabled ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Number of persons ---------------------------------------------- With-- Federally administered payments\3\......... 5,907,605 1,473,531 \1\85,885 \2\4,348,18 9 Federal payment only............ 3,406,549 792,980 44,084 2,569,485 Both Federal and State supplementation. 2,154,785 528,979 34,415 1,591,391 State supplementation only............ 346,271 151,572 7,386 187,313 Total with-- Federal payment\4\... 5,561,334 1,321,959 78,499 4,160,876 State supplementation\5\.. 2,501,056 680,551 41,801 1,778,704 ---------------------------------------------- Amount of payments [in thousands] ---------------------------------------------- Total.............. 2,036,914 345,961 30,984 1,659,968 Federal payments......... 1,762,015 267,490 24,401 1,470,123 State supplementation.... 274,899 78,471 6,583 189,845 ---------------------------------------------- Average monthly amount ---------------------------------------------- Total.............. $344.80 $234.73 $360.76 $381.76 Federal payments......... 316.83 202.34 310.84 353.32 State supplementation.... 109.91 115.31 157.48 106.73 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ \1\Includes an estimated 21,609 persons age 65 or older. \2\Includes an estimated 614,782 persons age 65 or older. \3\All persons with Federal SSI payments and/or federally administered State supplementation. \4\All persons with a Federal SSI payment whether receiving a Federal payment only or both a Federal and State supplementation. \5\All persons with federally administered State supplementation whether receiving State supplementation only or both a Federal SSI payment and a State supplementation. Source: Office of Research and Statistics, Social Security Administration. TABLE 6-13.--SSI: NUMBER OF PERSONS RECEIVING FEDERALLY ADMINISTERED SSI PAYMENTS, BY CATEGORY AND AGE: DECEMBER 1975, SEPTEMBER 1983, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, AND 1993 [In thousands] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Reason for eligibility and by age Dec. Sept. Sept. Sept. Sept. Sept. Sept. Sept. Sept. categories 1975 1983 1986 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total............................... 4,314 3,898 4,232 4,434 4,570 4,764 5,050 5,486 5,908 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Reason for eligibility: Aged.................................. 2,307 1,528 1,476 1,434 1,439 1,452 1,463 1,478 1,474 Blind................................. 74 79 83 83 83 84 85 86 86 Under 18............................ 3 6 7 7 7 7 7 8 8 18 to 21............................ 4 5 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 22 to 64............................ 46 45 48 49 49 50 51 52 52 65 and over......................... 22 23 23 22 22 22 22 22 22 Disabled.............................. 1,933 2,292 2,673 2,917 3,048 3,229 3,502 3,921 4,348 Under 18............................ 104 191 231 247 256 287 366 511 683 18 to 21............................ 90 122 138 136 139 143 150 167 186 22 to 64............................ 1,559 1,517 1,787 1,987 2,091 2,218 2,393 2,637 2,864 65 or over.......................... 179 462 517 548 563 579 592 606 615 Age: Under 18.............................. 107 197 238 254 263 294 373 518 691 18 to 21.............................. 93 127 143 140 143 147 154 171 190 22 to 64.............................. 1,605 1,562 1,835 2,036 2,140 2,269 2,445 2,690 2,917 65 and over........................... 2,508 2,013 2,016 2,003 2,023 2,051 2,078 2,107 2,110 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Source: Office of Research and Statistics, Social Security Administration. TABLE 6-14.--NUMBER AND PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION OF SSI RECIPIENTS RECEIVING FEDERALLY ADMINISTERED PAYMENTS, BY CATEGORY AND AGE, SEPTEMBER 1993 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Age Total Aged Blind Disabled ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Children: Total number............ 737,150 ......... 9,285 727,865 =========================================== Total percent........... 100.0 ......... 100.0 100.0 ------------------------------------------- Under 5..................... 16.4 ......... 15.7 16.4 5 to 9...................... 28.2 ......... 27.2 28.3 10 to 14.................... 32.7 ......... 28.9 32.7 15 to 17.................... 16.5 ......... 15.9 16.5 18 to 21\1\................. 6.2 ......... 12.4 6.2 Adults: Total number............ 5,170,455 1,473,531 76,600 3,620,324 =========================================== Total percent........... 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 ------------------------------------------- 18 to 21.................... 2.8 ......... 3.9 3.9 22 to 29.................... 9.0 ......... 13.4 12.6 30 to 39.................... 13.9 ......... 16.4 19.6 40 to 49.................... 12.6 ......... 14.7 17.7 50 to 59.................... 13.4 ......... 14.5 18.8 60 to 64.................... 7.5 ......... 8.8 10.5 65 to 69.................... 11.3 21.0 8.5 7.4 70 to 74.................... 10.1 24.1 6.4 4.5 75 to 79.................... 7.6 19.0 5.0 3.1 80 or older................. 11.7 35.9 8.3 2.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ \1\Persons aged 18-21 can be classified as either children or adults depending on their student status. Source: Office of Research and Statistics, Social Security Administration. TABLE 6-15.--NUMBER AND PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION OF ALL PERSONS RECEIVING FEDERALLY ADMINISTERED PAYMENTS, BY CATEGORY, RACE, AND SEX, JANUARY 1994 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Race and sex Total Aged Blind Disabled ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Total number................ 5,948,900 1,465,300 85,500 4,398,100 =========================================== Total percent........... 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 ------------------------------------------- Race: White..................... 57.1 55.4 57.4 57.6 Black..................... 28.9 22.0 26.8 31.2 Other..................... 10.8 19.4 11.3 7.9 Not reported.............. 3.3 3.1 4.4 3.4 Sex and race: Men....................... 40.3 26.2 43.6 45.0 White................... 22.6 13.9 24.6 25.4 Black................... 11.7 4.8 11.9 14.0 Other................... 4.5 6.7 4.9 3.7 Not reported............ 1.6 .8 2.2 1.8 Women..................... 59.6 73.8 56.4 55.0 White................... 34.5 41.5 32.9 32.2 Black................... 17.1 17.2 14.9 17.1 Other................... 6.3 12.7 6.4 4.2 Not reported............ 1.7 2.3 2.2 1.5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Source: Office of Research and Statistics, Social Security Administration. In summary, the trends in the nature of the SSI population show the following: --A steady decline in the number of persons receiving SSI benefits on the basis of old age. --An increase from 107,000 in December 1975 to 737,150 in September 1993 of the number of disabled and blind children under 18 receiving SSI benefits. --A sharp increase of 1,354,000 between 1983 and 1993 in the number of persons ages 22-64 receiving benefits on the basis of disability or blindness. TABLE 6-16.--NUMBER OF PERSONS RECEIVING FEDERALLY ADMINISTERED PAYMENTS AND NUMBER WITH CONCURRENT INCOME AND AVERAGE MONTHLY AMOUNT, BY CATEGORY AND TYPE OF INCOME, SEPTEMBER 1993 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Reason for eligibility Type of income Total -------------------------------- Aged Blind Disabled ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Total number.......... 5,907,605 1,473,531 85,885 4,348,189 ------------------------------------------- Number ------------------------------------------- Social Security benefits.... 2,402,028 959,733 31,673 1,410,622 Other unearned income....... 828,619 325,950 11,029 491,640 Earned income............... 262,236 30,589 6,175 225,472 ------------------------------------------- Average monthly income ------------------------------------------- Social Security benefits.... $330.48 $336.21 $345.30 $326.25 Other unearned income....... 97.62 76.75 95.68 111.50 Earned income............... 213.59 200.52 520.31 206.96 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Source: Office of Research and Statistics, Social Security Administration. TABLE 6-17.--NUMBER OF PERSONS RECEIVING FEDERALLY ADMINISTERED SSI PAYMENTS AND UNEARNED INCOME (OTHER THAN SOCIAL SECURITY) AND AVERAGE MONTHLY UNEARNED INCOME, BY TYPE OF INCOME, SEPTEMBER 1993 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Type of income Number\1\ Average\2\ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Total................................... 828,619 $97.62 ------------------------- Veterans' benefits............................ 121,647 149.74 Railroad retirement........................... 5,225 307.54 Black lung benefits........................... 1,766 293.99 Employment pensions........................... 46,914 112.26 Worker's compensation......................... 4,110 292.68 Support and maintenance in kind............... 212,242 99.86 Support from absent parents................... 56,849 148.57 Asset income.................................. 241,251 10.10 Assistance based on need...................... 58,145 71.20 Other\3\...................................... 80,470 221.96 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ \1\With unearned income other than social security benefits. \2\Monthly amount of unearned income. \3\Includes military, civil service pension, and demonstration projects. Source: Office of Research and Statistics, Social Security Administration. SSI PARTICIPATION RATES Table 6-18 shows Federal SSI participation among the elderly and the total population using various measures. The numerator in the first three columns is the sum of columns two and four in table 6-21. In other words, the number of SSI aged participants includes the disabled population over age 65. Column one simply divides the SSI aged participants by the total number of elderly. That rate declined from 11.1 percent in 1975 to 6.5 percent in 1992, primarily as a result of increasing incomes among the aged and decreasing participation among low-income elderly. Column two presents the number of elderly SSI recipients divided by the number of poor elderly. This rate has declined from 76 percent in 1975 to 54 percent in 1982. Between 1982 and 1984, this percentage increased, perhaps as a result of outreach efforts mandated by the 1983 Social Security Amendments (P.L. 98-21). After 1984, the rate declined to 56.5 percent in 1987, increased to 60.1 percent in 1989, and declined/ to 53 percent in 1992. This is a gross measure of participation, in that it does not control for other SSI eligibility factors, such as assets or the undercounting of income. Column three shows the number of SSI aged recipients as a percentage of the number of poor elderly before means-tested transfers. The final column of table 6-18 shows the number of Federal SSI participants as a percentage of the total population. The numerator for this calculation is the first column of table 21. As shown in the table, the percentage of the entire population receiving SSI benefits has declined from 2.0 percent in 1975 to 1.7 percent for the 1982 to 1985 time period. It has since increased to 2.3 percent in 1993 and is projected to increase to 2.5 percent by 1994. TABLE 6-18.--SSI PARTICIPATION RATES [In percent] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Among Among all Among pretransfer Among elderly elderly elderly entire poor poor population ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1975................ 11.1 75.6 NA 2.0 1976................ 10.3 72.4 NA 1.9 1977................ 9.8 74.1 NA 1.9 1978................ 9.4 71.5 NA 1.9 1979................ 9.0 61.3 68.7 1.8 1980................ 8.7 57.5 64.7 1.8 1981................ 8.1 55.0 63.3 1.8 1982................ 7.5 53.6 62.3 1.7 1983................ 7.3 55.2 61.9 1.7 1984................ 7.3 61.2 66.3 1.7 1985................ 7.1 58.7 64.5 1.7 1986................ 6.9 57.9 63.4 1.8 1987................ 6.8 56.5 64.7 1.8 1988................ 6.6 57.6 64.3 1.8 1989................ 6.5 60.1 64.6 1.9 1990................ 6.6 56.3 63.3 1.9 1991................ 6.8 55.0 61.1 2.0 1992................ 6.5 52.7 NA 2.2 1993\1\............. 6.6 NA NA 2.3 1994\1\............. 6.7 NA NA 2.5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ \1\Projected. NA--Not available. Note.--The denominator for columns 1 and 4 is in table 15, appendix N, the denominator for column 3 is shown in table 3 of appendix J, and the denominator for column 3 is in table 19 of appendix J. Source: Staff of the Committee on Ways and Means. Table 6-19 shows the percentage of a given State's population receiving SSI benefits for selected years. Table 6- 20 shows the percentages of a State's total, aged, and disabled populations between the ages of 18 and 64 receiving SSI benefits for both 1979 and 1993, respectively. The percentage of the population receiving SSI has been calculated by dividing the average number of monthly Federal SSI recipients in each State for each of the selected years by the State's population in July of those selected years. Likewise, percentages for the aged and disabled have been calculated by dividing a State's average number of monthly recipients in each program by that State's aged and disabled population in July 1979 and 1993. As shown in table 6-19, the total percentage of the popultion receiving SSI benefits increased to 2.26 percent in 1993 from 2 percent in 1975. However, between these years, the percentage of the population receiving SSI benefits declined to 1.74 percent in 1985 (a 13 percent decline) and has since risen to 2.26 percent of the population in 1993. As shown in table 6-20 the proportion of adult SSI recipients aged 18-64 in this total population rose from 1.26 to 1.90 percent. TABLE 6-19.--SSI RECIPIENCY RATES BY STATE [In percent] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ State 1975 1985 1990 1991 1992 1993 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alabama................. 3.98 3.29 3.29 3.35 3.43 3.64 Alaska.................. 0.81 0.65 0.84 0.87 0.90 0.96 Arizona................. 1.24 1.04 1.22 1.33 1.42 1.54 Arkansas................ 4.09 3.14 3.23 3.34 3.47 3.66 California.............. 3.09 2.59 2.93 3.03 3.10 3.14 Colorado................ 1.37 0.93 1.14 1.23 1.29 1.38 Connecticut............. 0.76 0.83 0.98 1.05 1.10 1.19 Delaware................ 1.19 1.21 1.21 1.23 1.27 1.34 District of Columbia.... 2.23 2.51 2.67 2.83 3.00 3.21 Florida................. 1.86 1.62 1.71 1.82 1.90 2.06 Georgia................. 3.27 2.56 2.46 2.51 2.55 2.65 Hawaii.................. 1.08 1.08 1.25 1.27 1.30 1.40 Idaho................... 1.06 0.84 1.03 1.10 1.21 1.28 Illinois................ 1.22 1.18 1.55 1.67 1.78 2.00 Indiana................. 0.83 0.87 1.09 1.17 1.26 1.39 Iowa.................... 1.00 0.96 1.18 1.23 1.29 1.37 Kansas.................. 1.05 0.87 0.99 1.05 1.14 1.26 Kentucky................ 2.83 2.65 3.11 3.27 3.42 3.71 Louisiana............... 3.90 2.87 3.15 3.29 3.49 3.84 Maine................... 2.31 1.89 1.93 1.97 2.03 2.17 Maryland................ 1.17 1.16 1.25 1.30 1.35 1.44 Massachusetts........... 2.30 1.91 1.98 2.12 2.23 2.40 Michigan................ 1.31 1.35 1.54 1.61 1.71 1.93 Minnesota............... 1.00 0.78 0.92 0.99 1.05 1.17 Mississippi............. 5.21 4.28 4.42 4.56 4.68 4.98 Missouri................ 2.10 1.58 1.66 1.75 1.83 1.96 Montana................. 1.12 0.92 1.25 1.33 1.38 1.44 Nebraska................ 1.06 0.88 0.99 1.05 1.09 1.19 Nevada.................. 1.00 0.85 0.95 0.98 1.04 1.14 New Hampshire........... 0.67 0.62 0.62 0.68 0.71 0.77 New Jersey.............. 1.11 1.23 1.36 1.44 1.52 1.66 New Mexico.............. 2.29 1.83 2.08 2.19 2.25 2.39 New York................ 2.24 2.00 2.31 2.46 2.60 2.85 North Carolina.......... 2.71 2.21 2.24 2.33 2.36 2.47 North Dakota............ 1.25 0.96 1.17 1.25 1.30 1.34 Ohio.................... 1.22 1.19 1.44 1.55 1.63 1.84 Oklahoma................ 3.03 1.81 1.92 1.97 2.02 2.13 Oregon.................. 1.12 0.95 1.11 1.18 1.24 1.35 Pennsylvania............ 1.24 1.39 1.60 1.69 1.77 1.90 Rhode Island............ 1.72 1.62 1.74 1.83 1.91 2.05 South Carolina.......... 2.84 2.60 2.59 2.61 2.67 2.80 South Dakota............ 1.32 1.19 1.45 1.53 1.62 1.72 Tennessee............... 3.24 2.71 2.87 2.98 3.06 3.22 Texas................... 2.23 1.57 1.73 1.81 1.87 2.00 Utah.................... 0.76 0.53 0.73 0.79 0.84 0.94 Vermont................. 1.93 1.76 1.79 1.89 1.99 2.08 Virginia................ 1.53 1.49 1.54 1.61 1.67 1.76 Washington.............. 1.46 1.09 1.27 1.34 1.39 1.50 West Virginia........... 2.37 2.24 2.63 2.78 2.91 3.17 Wisconsin............... 1.44 1.50 1.75 1.83 1.88 2.04 Wyoming................. 0.67 0.45 0.76 0.85 0.92 1.04 ----------------------------------------------- Total\1\.......... 2.00 1.74 1.94 2.03 2.11 2.26 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ \1\The total number of SSI recipients used to calculate the total recipiency rate includes a certain number of recipients whose State is unknown. For 1975, 1985, 1990, 1991, 1992, and 1993, the numbers of unknown (in thousands) respectively were 256, 14, 0, 96, 71, and 91. Source: Social Security Administration and Committee staff. Percentages are calculated as the average number of monthly SSI recipients over the total population of each State in July of the selected year. TABLE 6-20.--SSI RECIPIENCY RATES BY STATE, AND PROGRAM TYPE, FOR 1979 AND 1993 [In percent] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total recipiency rate Adult recipiency rate\1\ Aged recipiency rate ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Percent Percent Percent State change change change 1979 1993 ---------- 1979 1993 ---------- 1979 1993 --------- 1979-93 1979-93 1979-93 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alabama............... 3.55 3.64 2.5 1.83 2.69 47.0 21.01 11.35 -46.0 Alaska................ 0.77 0.96 24.7 0.54 0.89 64.8 14.04 6.41 -54.3 Arizona............... 1.11 1.54 38.7 0.89 1.44 61.8 4.98 3.52 -29.3 Arkansas.............. 3.50 3.66 4.6 1.87 2.67 42.8 17.05 9.74 -42.9 California............ 3.02 3.14 4.0 2.05 2.44 19.0 16.43 13.76 -16.3 Colorado.............. 1.10 1.38 25.5 0.77 1.26 63.6 6.68 3.76 -43.7 Connecticut........... 0.75 1.19 58.7 0.63 1.15 82.5 2.70 2.49 -7.7 Delaware.............. 1.19 1.34 12.6 0.94 1.17 24.5 5.43 3.19 -41.3 District of Columbia.. 2.28 3.21 40.8 1.92 2.72 41.7 8.56 8.08 -5.6 Florida............... 1.78 2.06 15.7 1.14 1.51 32.5 6.21 4.90 -21.1 Georgia............... 2.87 2.65 -7.7 1.89 2.05 8.5 17.73 10.44 -41.1 Hawaii................ 1.05 1.40 33.3 0.69 1.03 49.3 7.57 5.95 -21.4 Idaho................. 0.79 1.28 62.0 0.64 1.25 95.3 3.78 2.38 -37.0 Illinois.............. 1.08 2.00 85.2 0.95 1.98 108.4 4.25 3.77 -11.3 Indiana............... 0.75 1.39 85.3 0.61 1.37 124.6 3.32 2.18 -34.3 Iowa.................. 0.89 1.37 53.9 0.62 1.37 121.0 3.50 2.25 -35.7 Kansas................ 0.89 1.26 41.6 0.63 1.23 95.2 3.47 2.15 -38.0 Kentucky.............. 2.54 3.71 46.1 1.79 3.49 95.0 12.54 8.92 -28.9 Louisiana............. 3.35 3.84 14.6 2.03 2.99 47.3 20.14 11.37 -43.5 Maine................. 1.95 2.17 11.3 1.39 2.02 45.3 8.58 5.52 -35.7 Maryland.............. 1.15 1.44 25.2 0.94 1.22 29.8 5.40 4.45 -17.6 Massachusetts......... 2.24 2.40 7.1 1.28 2.14 67.2 10.80 6.08 -43.7 Michigan.............. 1.26 1.93 53.2 1.07 1.95 82.2 5.85 3.59 -38.6 Minnesota............. 0.81 1.17 44.4 0.55 1.14 107.3 3.71 2.55 -31.3 Mississippi........... 4.49 4.98 10.9 2.42 3.65 50.8 26.01 16.47 -36.7 Missouri.............. 1.76 1.96 11.4 1.10 1.80 63.6 7.89 4.07 -48.4 Montana............... 0.89 1.44 61.8 0.72 1.54 113.9 3.79 2.50 -34.0 Nebraska.............. 0.88 1.19 35.2 0.64 1.16 81.3 3.38 2.18 -35.5 Nevada................ 0.84 1.14 35.7 0.53 0.97 83.0 5.87 3.50 -40.4 New Hampshire......... 0.58 0.77 32.8 0.44 0.77 75.0 2.53 1.55 -38.7 New Jersey............ 1.14 1.66 45.6 0.86 1.34 55.8 4.69 4.46 -4.9 New Mexico............ 1.97 2.39 21.3 1.37 1.97 43.8 12.36 8.27 -33.1 New York.............. 2.12 2.85 34.4 1.59 2.27 42.8 8.26 8.36 1.21 North Carolina........ 2.40 2.47 2.9 1.58 1.84 16.5 13.60 8.13 -40.2 North Dakota.......... 0.99 1.34 35.4 0.57 1.24 117.5 5.05 3.18 -37.0 Ohio.................. 1.11 1.84 65.8 0.99 1.90 91.9 4.17 2.76 -33.8 Oklahoma.............. 2.32 2.13 -8.2 1.33 1.73 30.1 11.62 5.99 -48.5 Oregon................ 0.86 1.35 57.0 0.70 1.38 97.1 3.28 2.52 -23.2 Pennsylvania.......... 1.40 1.90 35.7 1.12 1.79 59.8 4.96 3.51 -29.2 Rhode Island.......... 1.59 2.05 28.9 1.08 1.83 69.4 6.43 4.80 -25.3 South Carolina........ 2.69 2.80 4.1 1.78 2.13 19.7 16.96 9.59 -43.5 South Dakota.......... 1.14 1.72 50.9 0.72 1.57 118.1 4.99 3.66 -26.7 Tennessee............. 2.86 3.22 12.6 1.87 2.76 47.6 14.77 9.02 -38.9 Texas................. 1.89 2.00 5.8 0.95 1.39 46.3 12.69 8.83 -30.4 Utah.................. 0.55 0.94 70.9 0.51 1.04 103.9 3.03 1.97 -35.0 Vermont............... 1.77 2.08 17.5 1.31 1.97 50.4 8.08 5.32 -34.2 Virginia.............. 1.50 1.76 17.3 1.02 1.37 34.3 8.52 5.99 -29.7 Washington............ 1.16 1.50 29.3 0.98 1.56 59.2 4.83 3.18 -34.2 West Virginia......... 2.13 3.17 48.8 1.86 3.19 71.5 7.95 5.63 -29.2 Wisconsin............. 1.44 2.04 41.7 0.96 1.91 99.0 6.54 4.20 -35.8 Wyoming............... 0.42 1.04 147.6 0.29 1.06 265.5 2.74 2.08 -24.1 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total\1\........ 1.85 2.26 22.2 1.26 1.90 50.8 8.98 6.44 -28.3 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\All adult recipients ages 18-64. Source: Social Security Administration and Committee staff. Percentages are calculated as the average number of monthly SSI recipients, adult SSI recipients aged 18-64, and aged SSI recipients over the total population, aged 18-64 population, and aged population of each State in July 1979 and July 1993, respectively. Due to the need to recalculate percentages of adult SSI recipients aged 18-64, it was necessary to base the 1979 calculations on the number of December 1979 SSI recipients. NUMBER OF RECIPIENTS: 1970-93 Table 6-21 illustrates the changes in the number of individuals receiving assistance under the federally administered SSI program and prior programs. The total number of individuals receiving assistance was 3.1 million in 1970; this increased to 4.3 million in 1975 and declined to 3.9 million in 1982. Since then, the number of SSI recipients has grown each year. In 1993, there were over 5.9 million SSI recipients. The number of aged receiving SSI has declined sharply since 1975 from 2.3 million (or 2.5 million if disabled over age 65 are counted as aged) to 1.5 million individuals in 1993 (2.1 million if disabled over 65 are counted). The number of blind or disabled receiving assistance increased sharply from 1.0 million in 1970 to roughly 4.3 million in 1993 (3.8 million if persons over age 65 are excluded). New SSI eligibility criteria for disabled children Under SSI law, a child under age 18 who has an impairment of comparable severity with that of an adult may be considered disabled. On February 20, 1990, the Supreme Court ruled in Sullivan v. Zebley that the Social Security Administration was improperly determining the eligibility of disabled children for the SSI program. Prior to the Zebley decision, for both adults and children, an applicant's condition was compared to a listing of impairments. If it met or equalled a listing, the disability criteria for SSI was met. However, children were evaluated only against the listing, while adults whose condition did not meet or equal a listing were given an individual functional assessment (called a residual functional capacity assessment) to determine disability. In the Zebley case, the Supreme Court held that determinations of children's eligibility for SSI also must take into account functional limitations. The court order defined the Zebley class entitled to readjudication and, possibly, retroactive benefits as all title XVI childhood disability claimants who have received a less than favorable decision of the Secretary or whose claims for SSI childhood disability were terminated on or after January 1, 1980, through February 11, 1991, based on medical grounds. January 1, 1980, was the compromise date agreed to by both parties. The plaintiffs supported offering readjudication to all children denied benefits on medical grounds since the beginning of the SSI program in 1974, while the Social Security Administration advocated a retroactive period starting on the date Zebley was filed, July 12, 1983. The closing date of the retroactive class, February 11, 1991, is the date on which the Social Security Administration published the revised regulation for determining disability in children. TABLE 6-21.--NUMBER OF PERSONS RECEIVING FEDERALLY ADMINISTERED SSI PAYMENTS, 1974-99; AND ADULT ASSISTANCE UNDER PRIOR PROGRAMS, 1970-73\3\ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Blind or disabled --------------------------------------------------------------- Federal State 65 and SSI\6\ supplemental Total\4\ older\5\ only -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1970............................................... 3,098 2,082 1,016 ....... ....... ....... 1971............................................... 3,172 2,024 1,148 ....... ....... ....... 1972............................................... 3,182 1,934 1,248 ....... ....... ....... 1973............................................... 3,173 1,820 1,353 ....... ....... ....... 1974............................................... 3,996 2,286 1,710 (\7\) (\8\) (\8\) 1975............................................... 4,314 2,307 2,007 201 3,893 421 1976............................................... 4,236 2,148 2,088 249 3,799 437 1977............................................... 4,238 2,051 2,187 302 3,778 460 1978............................................... 4,217 1,968 2,249 344 3,755 462 1979............................................... 4,150 1,872 2,278 386 3,687 462 1980............................................... 4,142 1,808 2,334 419 3,682 460 1981............................................... 4,019 1,678 2,341 443 3,590 429 1982............................................... 3,858 1,549 2,309 462 3,473 384 1983............................................... 3,901 1,515 2,386 485 3,590 311 1984............................................... 4,029 1,530 2,499 507 3,699 331 1985............................................... 4,138 1,504 2,634 525 3,799 339 1986............................................... 4,269 1,473 2,796 540 3,922 348 1987............................................... 4,385 1,455 2,930 560 4,019 366 1988............................................... 4,464 1,433 3,030 573 4,089 375 1989............................................... 4,593 1,439 3,154 587 4,206 387 1990............................................... 4,817 1,454 3,363 605 4,412 405 1991............................................... 5,118 1,465 3,654 615 4,730 389 1992............................................... 5,566 1,471 4,095 628 5,202 364 1993............................................... 6,011 1,475 4,536 680 5,664 347 1994\9\............................................ 6,525 1,478 5,047 757 6,172 353 1995\9\............................................ 7,025 1,481 5,544 831 6,665 360 1996\9\............................................ 7,503 1,487 6,016 902 7,135 368 1997\9\............................................ 7,954 1,493 6,461 969 7,579 375 1998\9\............................................ 8,383 1,498 6,885 1,033 8,001 382 1999\9\............................................ 8,792 1,503 7,289 1,093 8,404 388 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\Data are for December of each year. \2\All persons with Federal SSI payments and/or Federally administered State supplementation; 1974-1994. For 1970-1973, the total is the number of recipients under the Old-Age Assistance and Aid to the Blind and Aid to the Permanently and Totally Disabled Programs. \3\For 1970-1973, this column is the number of recipients under the Old-Age Assistance program. \4\For 1970-1973, this column is the number of recipients under the Aid to the Blind and Aid to the Permanently and Totally Disabled Programs. \5\For 1974-1999, this is the number of age 65 or older individuals who first received SSI benefits because of being blind or disabled. \6\All persons with Federal SSI payments include those receiving Federal payments only or both Federal SSI and Federally administered State supplementation. \7\Data not available for December 1974. In January 1974, there were 87,000 blind and disabled recipients aged 65 or older. \8\Data not available. \9\For 1994-1999, data are projections based on the President's budget estimates of December 1993. Source: Office of Supplemental Security Income, Social Security Administration. TABLE 6-22.--NUMBER OF PERSONS RECEIVING SSI PAYMENTS, BY STATE, DECEMBER 1993 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Federally administered\1\ State State ------------------------------------------------ administered Total Aged Blind Disabled total\5\ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total\1\.................................. 5,984,330 1,474,852 85,456 4,424,022 314,030 ------------------------------------------------------------- Alabama\2\........................................ 155,734 42,496 1,611 111,627 3,001 Alaska\2\......................................... 5,909 1,204 109 4,596 4,726 Arizona\2\........................................ 63,033 12,985 817 49,231 694 Arkansas.......................................... 90,582 23,335 1,186 66,061 ............ California........................................ 994,213 335,845 22,602 635,766 ............ Colorado\2\....................................... 51,055 9,556 514 40,985 31,377 Connecticut\2\.................................... 40,233 7,597 525 32,111 29,155 Delaware.......................................... 9,696 1,684 124 7,888 ............ District of Columbia.............................. 18,836 3,453 204 15,179 ............ Florida\3\........................................ 292,769 93,638 3,260 195,871 14,237 Georgia........................................... 186,808 47,024 2,648 137,136 ............ Hawaii............................................ 16,967 6,898 159 9,910 ............ Idaho\2\.......................................... 14,477 2,000 142 12,335 2,985 Illinois\2\....................................... 244,950 35,029 2,526 207,395 60,055 Indiana\2\........................................ 81,976 10,247 1,135 70,594 1,128 Iowa.............................................. 39,379 6,581 1,015 31,783 ............ Kansas............................................ 32,997 4,904 395 27,698 ............ Kentucky\2\....................................... 145,668 26,702 1,881 117,085 6,367 Louisiana......................................... 170,483 36,302 2,293 131,888 ............ Maine............................................. 27,817 6,366 284 21,167 ............ Maryland\3\....................................... 73,529 16,462 810 56,257 1,132 Massachusetts..................................... 148,615 47,117 4,519 96,979 ............ Michigan.......................................... 192,390 25,162 2,178 165,050 ............ Minnesota\2\...................................... 54,881 10,255 761 43,865 21,339 Mississippi....................................... 134,318 35,951 1,563 96,804 ............ Missouri\2\....................................... 105,042 19,227 1,113 84,702 11,283 Montana........................................... 12,406 1,781 129 10,496 ............ Nebraska\2\....................................... 19,523 3,379 253 15,891 6,619 Nevada............................................ 16,789 5,350 547 10,892 ............ New Hampshire\2\.................................. 8,980 1,389 96 7,495 5,804 New Jersey........................................ 134,285 34,800 1,176 98,309 ............ New Mexico\2\..................................... 39,993 9,823 620 29,550 281 New York.......................................... 536,018 139,921 3,944 392,153 ............ North Carolina\2\................................. 174,526 45,289 2,602 126,635 17,951 North Dakota\4\................................... 8,600 1,982 95 6,523 267 Ohio.............................................. 214,038 23,022 2,543 188,473 ............ Oklahoma\2\....................................... 69,954 16,968 977 52,009 65,298 Oregon\2\......................................... 42,571 7,036 636 34,899 16,743 Pennsylvania...................................... 236,354 42,841 2,811 190,702 ............ Rhode Island...................................... 21,309 5,011 224 16,074 ............ South Carolina\2\................................. 103,812 26,262 1,794 75,756 4,330 South Dakota\3\................................... 12,515 2,652 148 9,715 217 Tennessee......................................... 167,590 36,889 1,995 128,706 ............ Texas\4\.......................................... 370,719 126,703 5,558 238,458 ............ Utah.............................................. 18,199 2,157 307 15,735 ............ Vermont........................................... 12,176 2,243 123 9,810 ............ Virginia\2\....................................... 117,809 29,363 1,603 86,843 6,694 Washington........................................ 81,634 12,558 890 68,186 ............ West Virginia\4\.................................. 60,202 8,369 736 51,097 ............ Wisconsin......................................... 106,198 20,110 1,201 84,887 ............ Wyoming\2\........................................ 5,154 710 60 4,384 2,347 Other: N. Mariana Islands.............................. 532 213 14 305 ............ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\Includes fewer than 200 cases not distributed by State. \2\Data for Federal SSI payments only. State has state-administered supplementation. \3\Data for Federal SSI payments and Federally administered state supplementation only, State also has state- administered supplementation. \4\Data for Federal SSI payments only, State supplementary payments not made. \5\Represents September 1993 data. Source: Office of Research and Statistics and Office of Supplemental Security Income, Social Security Administration. Impact of the Sullivan v. Zebley decision In March 1991, the district court approved a settlement agreement that established an eligible class under Zebley back to January 1980. Implementation of this settlement required an intensive effort to locate children who were denied benefits from January 1, 1980, to February 11, 1991. Notices were sent to approximately 452,000 individuals. Of this number, close to 321,700 have responded accounting for about 71 percent of potential class members. According to SSA, when the additional recipients who filed new claims or were processed as a result of the Zebley case or related childhood disability regulations were added to the rolls, the number of blind/disabled childhood recipients increased by 86,000 in fiscal year 1991 and 169,000 in fiscal year 1992 and 146,600 in fiscal year 1993. Presumptive SSI eligibility for persons with AIDS and HIV SSI law permits benefits to be paid to a person applying for SSI benefits on the basis of disability or blindness before a formal determination of disability or blindness has been made when available information indicates a high probability that the person is disabled or blind and the person is otherwise eligible. Section 1631(a)(4)(B) of the Social Security Act provides that the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services may pay up to 6 months of SSI benefits to a person applying for SSI based on disability or blindness prior to the determination of the individual's disability or blindness if the individual is presumptively disabled or blind and otherwise eligible. A finding of presumptive disability or blindness may be made at the Social Security field offices only for specified impairment categories (because the field office employees generally are not trained disability adjudicators); however, at the State agencies (where there are disability adjudicators) they may be made for any impairment category. On February 11, 1985, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), as defined by the Centers for Disease Control, was added (pursuant to interim Federal regulations) to the impairment categories, thus allowing field offices to find presumptive disability for persons claiming they had AIDS. These regulations were scheduled to expire February 11, 1988, but were extended until December 31, 1989; and in 1989 they were extended until December 31, 1991. In December 1991, a new more liberal regulation was implemented. Under the new procedures, the Social Security field offices may make a finding of presumptive disability for any individual with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) whose disease manifestations are of listing-level severity, not only to those who have been diagnosed with AIDS. ELIGIBILITY OF DRUG ADDICTS AND ALCOHOLICS FOR SSI The SSI program has the authority to award SSI disability payments on the grounds of drug addiction or alcoholism. Under the SSI program an individual is considered to be a medically determined drug addict or alcoholic only if (1) he or she is disabled (as defined by SSI law), and (2) drug addiction or alcoholism is a contributing factor to such disability. The presence of a condition diagnosed or defined as addiction to alcohol or drugs does not by itself qualify an individual for SSI benefits. Section 1631(a)(2)(A) of the Social Security Act requires SSI recipients disabled because of drug addiction or alcoholism to have a representative payee; section 1611(e)(3)(A) of the Social Security Act requires these recipients to participate in an approved treatment program when available and appropriate; and section 1611(e)(3)(B) of the Social Security Act requires recipients to allow their participation in the treatment program to be monitored by agencies under contract to SSA. SSI provisions relating to drug addicts and alcoholics were contained in the original SSI law (P.L. 92-603). Initially the Senate sought to exclude these individuals from SSI by putting them in a separate program. Members of Congress thought that these drug addicts and alcoholics would need more than the cash payments that SSA could provide, that they would need treatment, case management, and close monitoring so that they would not use SSI benefits to ``feed their addiction.'' The requirement for representative payees grew out of this latter concern. According to data from a 1991 Department of Health and Human Services' inspector general report, about 20,000 persons diagnosed as disabled drug addicts and alcoholics are receiving SSI benefits. About 40 percent of these recipients were determined to be disabled only after appealing their case to an Administrative Law Judge. More than half of this caseload live in either California or Illinois, three-fourths of the caseload is male, 41 percent are white and 37 percent are black, and most of the recipients are addicted to alcohol rather than drugs. Although 99 percent of the recipients have the required representative payee (usually a family member), SSA provides very little monitoring and does not know whether the majority (66 percent) of the recipients are in treatment.\1\ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Office of Inspector General. Social Security Policies Concerning Drug Addicts and Alcoholics. July 1991. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- In December 1993, there were about 79,000 disabled drug addicts and alcoholics on the SSI rolls. In 1991, SSA entered into a collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services' Public Health Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to improve referral and monitoring of treatment for SSI recipients who are drug addicts and alcoholics. As a result, SSA has established referral and monitoring services contracts with agencies in 32 States and the District of Columbia to perform numerous specified tasks to ensure both better service to SSI recipients and greater management oversight. SSA plans to have similar contracts in place in the remaining States by the end of fiscal year 1994. SSA increased funding for referral and monitoring activities from $4 million in fiscal year 1993 to $20 million in fiscal year 1994 and $36 million in fiscal year 1995--an 80 percent increase--which will allow them to serve about 69,000 SSI drug addict and alcoholic recipients in fiscal year 1995. SPECIAL SSI BENEFITS, MEDICAID SERVICES, AND RELATED PROVISIONS FOR THE WORKING DISABLED Earned income disregards.--Since SSI began in 1974, the law has required that a portion of the earned income of SSI recipients be disregarded in determining the eligibility for and the amount of SSI benefits payable. In determining SSI eligibility and/or benefit amount, the first $65 of monthly earned income (or, up to the first $85 if the recipient has no unearned income) plus one-half of the remaining earnings are disregarded. In addition, any work-related expenses are disregarded in the case of blind persons and impairment-related work expenses are disregarded in the case of disabled persons. Also, income and/or resources set aside under a PASS are excluded. Earned income disregards were included in the pre-SSI federally assisted State programs for the aged, blind, and disabled. Eliminating work disincentives.--Prior to the enactment of the section 1619 program in 1980, on a temporary 3-year basis (and continued for an additional two years as a demonstration project), a disabled SSI recipient who worked faced a substantial risk of losing SSI benefits and frequently, Medicaid. Work was treated the same way it was under the Social Security disability insurance (SSDI) program: after a trial work period, work at the substantial gainful activity (SGA) level ($500 or more of earnings per month; $300 per month before January 1990) led to the loss of disability status even if the individual's total income and resources were within SSI program limits. Loss of SSI disability status caused loss of Medicaid eligibility as well. (Many States provide automatic Medicaid coverage to all recipients of Federal SSI payments. Nearly all States follow the SSI definition of disability to establish Medicaid eligibility.) Thus, disabled individuals who could work or, at least, could have tried to work had a disincentive to work because of their fear of losing their SSI benefits or often more importantly their eligibility for health services under Medicaid. Summary of section 1619 provisions intended to remove work disincentives for the disabled Section 1619(a) of SSI law, enacted as a permanent provision of law in 1986, provides for the continuation of cash benefits for those SSI recipients who are receiving benefits on the basis of disability even if their earnings are at or above the SGA level and as long as there is not a medical improvement in the disabling condition. The amount of their cash benefits is gradually reduced as their earnings increase under the income disregard formula until their countable earnings reach the SSI benefit standard or what is known as the ``breakeven point.'' In a State with no supplementation, as shown in table 6-2, this earned income eligibility limit is $977 per month in 1994 for a person who has no unearned income. People who receive the special SSI benefits continue to be eligible for Medicaid on the same basis as regular SSI recipients. States have the option of supplementing the Federal benefits standard for those entitled to benefits under this provision. The ``breakeven point'' increases $2 for every $1 of State supplementation above the Federal SSI benefit standard. Under section 1619(b), blind and disabled individuals can continue to be eligible for Medicaid even if their earnings take them past the SSI income disregard ``breakeven point.'' In some 209(b) States, workers may lose Medicaid eligibility before attaining 1619(b) status, if they did not have Medicaid coverage the month before section 1619 status began, thus making this provision inoperable for those workers. This special eligibility status, under which the individual is considered a blind or disabled individual receiving SSI benefits for purposes of Medicaid eligibility, applies as long as the individual: (1) continues to be blind or have a disabling impairment; (2) except for earnings, continues to meet all the other requirements for SSI eligibility; (3) would be seriously inhibited from continuing to work by the termination of eligibility for Medicaid services; and (4) has earnings that are not sufficient to provide a reasonable equivalent of the benefits (SSI, State supplementary payments, Medicaid and publicly funded attendant care) that would have been available if he or she did not have those earnings. In making an initial determination under the fourth criterion, SSA decided to compare the individual's gross earnings to a ``threshold'' amount. The threshold amount is the amount of gross earnings, after the monthly $20 general income, $65 earned income and one-half of the remainder exclusions are applied, that it would take to reduce to zero the Federal SSI benefit and State supplementary payment for an individual with no other income or exclusions living in his or her own household plus the average Medicaid expenditures for disabled SSI cash recipients for the State of residence. If the individual's earnings exceed the threshold, an individualized threshold is calculated which considers the person's actual Medicaid use, the State supplement rate for the person's actual living arrangement, and the value of publicly funded attendant care available to the person in the absence of his or her earnings. In determining a person's income to compare to the individualized threshold, any applicable exclusions are deducted from his or her earnings, including work expenses if the person is blind, impairment-related work expenses, and income set aside under a plan for achieving self-support. In other words, Medicaid eligibility continues until the individual's earnings reach a higher plateau which takes into account the person's ability to afford medical care as well as his or her normal living expenses, or he or she medically recovers. Under the provisions of Public Law 99-643, which was effective July 1, 1987, a disabled individual also has the ongoing protection of being able to be reinstated to eligibility for cash assistance benefits under regular SSI or 1619(a), or Medicaid only eligibility under 1619(b) if his or her work attempt fails or the physical or mental disability makes the ability to work very erratic. This protection is not indefinite, but SSA, under the provisions of Public Law 99-643, will not terminate the disability status of an individual for 12 months after his or her most recent eligibility for regular SSI or eligibility under section 1619(a) or 1619(b). However, if the individual recovers medically a new application and new disability determination would be required to establish a new period of eligibility. SSI OUTREACH ACTIVITIES The 1983 Social Security Amendments (P.L. 98-21) mandated the Social Security Administration (SSA) to conduct two separate outreach activities aimed at the aged population. The first was a one-time mailing of alerts to those aged individuals and couples whose Social Security benefits were less than the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) eligibility levels. Between February and July 1984, over 7.6 million notices were mailed as part of this one-time alert. SSA used a mail survey questionnaire to evaluate the effects of this alert process. As a result of the one-time outreach effort, there were approximately 160,000 field office contacts. These contacts resulted in 79,000 applications for SSI payments and 58,000 awards, with an average monthly SSI payment of $60 to supplement these recipients' Social Security benefits. Most of the people who did not contact SSA after receiving the alert reported that they felt that they were ineligible because of too many resources or too much income. The second outreach activity is an ongoing effort to notify two groups of Social Security beneficiaries: those about to reach age 65; and disabled individuals who have been receiving Social Security benefits for 21 consecutive months and will soon be eligible for Medicare. Beginning in July 1983, and continuing each month, approximately 110,000 aged and disabled Social Security beneficiaries receive an SSI alert which accompanies the Medicare enrollment notice. Eighty percent of the alerts go to retired beneficiaries, with the remainder sent to disability beneficiaries. The trend in SSI monthly aged awards showed a marked change when this mailing began. SSA estimates that about 2,000 additional aged awards per month have resulted from the ongoing alerts since July 1983. As a result of these two outreach efforts, the decline in the aged SSI population was temporarily reversed, resulting in a high of 2,083,633 aged recipients in September 1984. Since that date, the aged SSI population has begun to decrease, although at a slower rate than that experienced before the outreach. The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1989 established a permanent outreach program for disabled and blind children. In addition, beginning in 1989, SSA made SSI outreach an ongoing agency priority. The goal of SSA's SSI outreach strategy is to reduce the barriers that prevent or discourage potentially SSI- eligible individuals from participating in the program. Common barriers include lack of information or understanding about the program, perceived stigma from participating in the program, the complexity of the application process, and homelessness. SSA seeks to overcome these barriers by providing better information about the program, alleviating any stigma surrounding the program, and making the program more accessible to potentially eligible persons. SSA tries to overcome these barriers both directly and through cooperative efforts with other government and private sector organizations that have contacts with local SSA field officers. In fiscal year 1990, Congress mandated SSA to expand the scope of its SSI outreach activities and provided funding for SSA to conduct an SSI Outreach Demonstration project. To this end, Congress appropriated funding for cooperative agreements as follows: fiscal year 1990--$3 million; fiscal year 1991--$6 million; fiscal year 1992--$6 million; and fiscal year 1993--$6 million. To date, SSA has funded 82 diverse cooperative agreements targeting a variety of populations such as African- Americans, Native Americans, the homeless, the mentally ill, and people infected with HIV. SSA is in the process of awarding additional cooperative agreements which will allow it to continue testing innovative outreach methods and fill research gaps in target populations from the earlier awards. Congress also mandated that SSA spend no less than five percent of the funding on an independent evaluation of the demonstration program. In fiscal year 1991, SSA awarded a contract for such evaluation and a cross-project comparison to develop models for effective outreach. Completed projects are in various phases of evaluation. Exemplary models will be publicized and replicated. At the regional, State and local levels, SSA field components have implemented many creative outreach activities. SSA has established a vehicle called the Resource Information Center for collecting, sharing, and providing updates to the entire SSA field structure about these outreach efforts being conducted in regional and field offices. At the national level, SSA has established a network of liaisons with a number of other Federal agencies that serve low-income people to improve access to the SSI program and other benefits and services. These agencies include the Department of Veterans' Affairs, Department of Agriculture, and five other Federal agencies operating under the auspices of the Federal Interagency Coordinating Council which target young children with disabilities. SSI AND THE HOMELESS SSA has implemented specific legislation and developed outreach programs and administrative initiatives to better meet the needs of the homeless, who may be eligible for SSI. This was prompted by evidence that approximately 30 to 40 percent of the residents of emergency homeless shelters are chronically mentally ill, and are former residents of mental institutions. These initiatives are designed to address the special problems related to the homeless: they are often difficult to locate and contact; they have limited ability to find information needed to apply for benefits; and they are often reluctant to follow through with the claims process or are incapable of doing so. While many of the chronically mentally ill live with family or have other ongoing contact with those who can assist them with daily living activities, the homeless, mentally ill are more likely to have very limited contact with family or others who could assist them in obtaining housing or applying for benefits. Legislative changes enacted to address the issue of homelessness include not counting in-kind support or maintenance provided by a private nonprofit organization as income under the SSI program if determined by the State to be based on need, and allowing temporary residents of public emergency shelters to receive SSI benefits for up to 6 months in any 9-month period. SSA also has statutory authority to provide emergency advance payments in amounts up to the full SSI monthly benefit standard to individuals applying for SSI who are presumptively eligible and who have a financial emergency and payments for up to 6 months to presumptively blind and presumptively disabled individuals. SSA has also provided assistance to the homeless by instituting several administrative initiatives. For example, in many areas of the country local field offices regularly visit homeless shelters, clinics, and hospitals to take and expedite SSI applications. SSA has also instituted special procedures on disability applications filed by homeless claimants. For example, for most applications SSA defers the nonmedical development of a claim until the States' Disability Determination Services make a favorable medical determination. However, to facilitate prompt payment to homeless claimants, SSA initiates full claims development at the time of application. SSA has identified homelessness as one barrier to filing for SSI benefits and, in response, has initiated a wide range of outreach activities aimed at this population. For example, local field offices have established ongoing programs where local social service agencies, soup kitchens, shelters, and churches screen homeless people for possible SSI eligibility, refer them to SSA, and help them through the application process. Many of SSA's SSI outreach demonstration programs deal specifically with the homeless or concentrate on the homeless in addition to other target populations, especially individuals who suffer from mental illness or AIDS. In August 1991, SSA began a joint project with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which has two successful programs dealing with homeless, mentally ill veterans. One pilot project involves stationing SSA and State Disability Determination Services staff in VA sites to work as a team with VA clinicians to take and process applications. Another pilot involves the creation of a new position which combines SSA and State Disability Determination Services functions into one ``specialist'' position. The specialists also work as a team with VA clinicians. This project has shown promising results in finding and delivering benefits to eligible homeless veterans. ``Immediate payments.''--Beginning in October 1985, local social security offices were given the authority to make ``immediate payments'' for certain Social Security and SSI cases when it is found that benefits are due but unpaid and even an expedited Treasury payment would result in deprivation of food and/or shelter or endangerment of health. ``Immediate'' usually means while the beneficiary waits or the next day at the latest. The payments are made using bankdrafts prepared by the SSA field office. Payments are limited to a maximum per beneficiary of $400 or the amount due, whichever is less, in a 30-day period. The person's eligibility for benefits must be verified by the local office. During fiscal year 1993, 38,294 immediate payments were issued under this procedure. The total amount of these payments equaled $12,666,732 for an average of $330 per payment. ``Prerelease Procedure.''--The prerelease procedure helps institutionalized individuals return to community living. Some individuals are medically ready to be released from an institution but are financially unable to support themselves. The prerelease procedure allows such individuals to apply for SSI payments and food stamps several months in advance of their anticipated release based on their probable future living arrangements so benefits can commence quickly after release. A formal prerelease agreement can be developed between an institution and the local Social Security office. However, an individual can file an application for SSI under prerelease without the existence of such an agreement. SSI MODERNIZATION PROJECT In 1990, the Social Security Commissioner established the SSI Modernization Project to determine the effectiveness of the SSI program. The Project's 21 outside experts published their final report in September 1992, drawing on extensive public testimony and comment. The report included more than 50 options for program improvement, many of which would require legislation and all of which would involve substantial cost. Provisions dealing with some of the issues addressed by the experts were introduced in both the 102d and 103d Congress, but none has passed. In October 1993, the House Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Resources held an oversight hearing on SSI and heard testimony on the Modernization Project Report. In light of the need to achieve a balance in relation to efforts aimed at reducing a budget deficit and reforming health care and welfare, many legislators viewed SSI modernization legislation as too costly and expansive. The subcommittee held a subsequent hearing on the Modernization Project in March 1994. SSI PROGRAM COSTS Table 6-23 shows the total expenditures for the SSI program in each State, including not only the federally administered Federal and State supplementation payments but also the State administered State supplementation payments. Table 6-24 shows the total (Federal- and State-administered) State supplementation payments for SSI for fiscal years 1985 through 1993. TABLE 6-23.--SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME: TOTAL PAYMENTS, FEDERAL SSI PAYMENTS, AND FEDERALLY ADMINISTERED AND STATE ADMINISTERED STATE SUPPLEMENTARY PAYMENTS, FISCAL YEAR 1993 [In thousands of dollars] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- State supplementation Federal SSI\1\ --------------------------------- State Total Federally State administered\2\ administered ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total................................... $24,173,827 $20,311,676 $3,298,496 $563,655 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Alabama....................................... 530,650 528,567 ................ 2,083 Alaska........................................ 33,259 20,287 ................ \4\12,972 Arizona....................................... 230,533 227,404 ................ \4\3,129 Arkansas...................................... 299,216 299,216 (\3\) .............. California.................................... 5,075,783 2,863,453 2,212,330 .............. Colorado...................................... 235,044 179,987 ................ \4\55,057 Connecticut................................... 241,274 144,438 ................ 96,836 Delaware...................................... 32,578 31,831 747 .............. District of Columbia.......................... 71,473 66,574 4,899 .............. Florida....................................... 1,039,971 1,021,363 (\3\) 18,608 Georgia....................................... 608,535 608,516 19 .............. Hawaii........................................ 68,756 57,690 11,066 .............. Idaho......................................... 55,464 51,252 ................ \4\4,212 Illinois...................................... 1,073,690 1,007,854 ................ \4\65,836 Indiana....................................... 307,664 303,847 ................ 3,817 Iowa.......................................... 130,027 127,168 2,859 .............. Kansas........................................ 114,553 114,553 (\3\) .............. Kentucky...................................... 551,082 535,769 ................ 15,313 Louisiana..................................... 692,553 692,549 4 .............. Maine......................................... 77,619 70,386 7,233 .............. Maryland...................................... 281,598 275,329 32 6,237 Massachusetts................................. 583,542 435,676 147,866 .............. Michigan...................................... 762,089 699,406 62,683 .............. Minnesota..................................... 238,243 184,383 ................ \4\53,860 Mississippi................................... 474,366 474,355 11 .............. Missouri...................................... 391,369 365,503 ................ \4\25,866 Montana....................................... 41,784 40,882 902 .............. Nebraska...................................... 72,526 65,821 ................ 6,705 Nevada........................................ 57,682 54,096 3,586 .............. New Hampshire................................. 38,217 29,705 ................ 8,512 New Jersey.................................... 521,269 449,304 71,965 .............. New Mexico.................................... 137,027 136,698 ................ 329 New York...................................... 2,369,189 1,893,160 476,029 .............. North Carolina................................ 646,659 551,214 ................ 95,445 North Dakota.................................. 27,072 25,852 ................ 1,220 Ohio.......................................... 840,617 840,589 28 .............. Oklahoma...................................... 265,811 229,254 ................ 36,557 Oregon........................................ 171,232 151,063 ................ \4\20,169 Pennsylvania.................................. 979,698 869,751 109,947 .............. Rhode Island.................................. 77,093 60,996 16,097 .............. South Carolina................................ 351,169 338,792 ................ 12,377 South Dakota.................................. 42,334 41,653 10 671 Tennessee..................................... 560,825 560,825 (\3\) .............. Texas......................................... 1,220,944 1,220,944 ................ .............. Utah.......................................... 67,627 66,749 878 .............. Vermont....................................... 44,866 34,939 9,927 .............. Virginia...................................... 402,297 384,980 ................ 17,317 Washington.................................... 322,619 295,811 26,808 .............. West Virginia................................. 232,666 232,666 ................ .............. Wisconsin..................................... 461,094 328,333 132,761 .............. Wyoming....................................... 17,137 16,610 ................ 527 N. Mariana Islands..................................... 2,178 2,178 ................ .............. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\Includes $1.5 million not distributed by State. \2\Total reduced by 197,000 due to adjustments not yet identified and credited by State. \3\Amount not shown; negative adjustment exceeds amount paid. \4\Estimated data. Source: Office of Research and Statistics, Social Security Administration. TABLE 6-24.--STATE SSI SUPPLEMENTATION PAYMENTS FOR EACH FISCAL YEAR 1985-93 [In thousands of dollars] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- State 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total........................ $2,234,846 $2,496,275 $2,835,516 $3,006,796 $3,308,277 $3,589,348 $3,750,812 $3,987,110 $3,862,151 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alabama............................ 15,003 13,659 11,606 10,436 7,964 6,594 6,394 3,845 2,083 Alaska............................. 12,970 12,970 12,970 12,970 12,970 12,972 12,972 12,972 12,972 Arizona............................ 2,194 2,668 3,045 3,309 2,691 2,560 3,129 3,129 3,129 Arkansas........................... 30 28 32 20 14 15 12 8 0 California......................... 1,288,260 1,466,079 1,729,305 1,862,170 2,038,339 2,274,296 2,303,637 2,433,459 2,212,330 Colorado........................... 47,474 38,320 35,416 24,132 41,035 42,649 50,002 53,309 55,057 Connecticut........................ 31,200 36,578 46,577 54,584 74,257 67,670 98,838 94,725 96,836 Delaware........................... 457 671 703 730 725 708 721 750 747 Dist. of Columbia.................. 4,106 4,202 4,265 4,538 4,498 4,365 4,278 4,694 4,899 Florida............................ 8,174 9,718 11,314 11,309 12,609 14,656 18,055 18,899 18,608 Georgia............................ 13 8 19 18 10 16 9 12 19 Hawaii............................. 3,598 3,740 3,893 4,263 6,799 10,885 10,314 10,698 11,066 Idaho.............................. 4,023 4,136 4,205 4,205 4,205 4,212 4,212 4,212 4,212 Illinois........................... 44,491 51,197 56,856 59,573 55,716 57,137 65,756 64,241 65,836 Indiana............................ 1,191 1,744 2,666 3,619 3,099 3,285 3,405 3,563 3,817 Iowa............................... 1,620 1,908 2,098 2,204 2,275 2,408 2,508 2,672 2,859 Kansas............................. 32 27 34 25 21 21 17 12 0 Kentucky........................... 9,947 9,795 10,109 10,467 10,473 11,611 14,801 15,492 15,313 Louisiana.......................... 51 42 47 33 23 25 19 12 4 Maine.............................. 5,372 5,413 7,454 7,540 7,452 7,494 7,371 7,325 7,233 Maryland........................... 4,238 5,252 5,505 6,159 6,159 6,155 6,520 6,542 6,269 Massachusetts...................... 109,954 109,452 112,561 120,010 114,691 117,113 124,761 137,516 147,866 Michigan........................... 62,824 66,338 68,779 69,833 72,369 74,682 72,561 61,636 62,683 Minnesota.......................... 17,024 19,818 22,850 24,667 40,641 43,924 48,933 55,224 53,860 Mississippi........................ 33 29 35 27 26 22 19 12 11 Missouri........................... 6,027 5,132 4,410 4,009 3,102 2,808 8,476 26,158 25,866 Montana............................ 805 834 844 839 842 864 910 909 902 Nebraska........................... 5,325 5,348 5,457 5,454 6,550 5,793 5,334 6,175 6,705 Nevada............................. 2,421 2,531 2,594 2,704 2,771 2,928 3,029 3,184 3,586 New Hampshire...................... 7,740 7,326 6,501 5,865 9,662 6,843 7,675 7,948 8,512 New Jersey......................... 46,675 48,124 49,996 50,446 59,291 53,697 57,328 64,765 71,965 New Mexico......................... 226 216 280 248 270 263 307 333 329 New York........................... 225,075 277,035 305,678 317,504 366,972 388,150 410,081 440,374 476,029 North Carolina..................... 36,449 41,091 47,963 52,745 58,989 63,135 75,066 91,925 95,445 North Dakota....................... 1,183 1,518 1,406 1,480 1,549 1,390 1,291 1,408 1,220 Ohio............................... 1 35 37 31 30 34 31 31 28 Oklahoma........................... 30,187 31,380 32,894 34,045 33,414 34,168 35,055 36,012 36,557 Oregon............................. 9,781 9,767 10,342 11,843 15,419 17,946 20,169 20,169 20,169 Pennsylvania....................... 65,203 69,186 75,502 74,670 76,565 79,571 84,668 94,971 109,947 Rhode Island....................... 8,842 9,402 9,848 10,263 10,816 11,729 12,973 14,967 16,097 South Carolina..................... 3,932 4,812 4,927 5,004 9,785 8,897 11,994 11,685 12,377 South Dakota....................... 499 591 636 587 590 567 620 652 681 Tennessee.......................... 6 0 6 1 4 4 1 1 0 Texas\1\........................... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Utah............................... 820 872 855 1,086 981 808 898 959 878 Vermont............................ 6,709 7,236 7,684 7,841 8,346 8,685 9,374 10,299 9,927 Virginia........................... 11,267 12,164 12,846 14,432 15,949 15,296 16,863 16,782 17,317 Washington......................... 20,022 17,443 19,424 18,058 18,994 19,915 21,558 24,043 26,808 West Virginia\1\................... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Wisconsin.......................... 71,733 80,288 86,363 90,642 95,205 100,276 107,543 118,063 132,761 Wyoming............................ 199 216 218 226 296 279 326 440 527 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\Texas and West Virginia do not pay State supplementation. Source: Social Security Administration. Table 6-25 illustrates the total amount of Federal and State benefit payments from calendar years 1970 to 1987 and fiscal years 1988 to 1999. From 1970 to 1973, these were the benefits under the old-age assistance, aid to the blind, and aid to the permanently and totally disabled programs. In fiscal year 1993, Federal benefit payments totaled $20,312 billion and State payments totaled $3,862 billion. TABLE 6-25.--FEDERAL AND STATE BENEFIT PAYMENTS UNDER SSI AND PRIOR ADULT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, CALENDAR YEARS 1970-87 AND FISCAL YEARS 1988-99\1\ [Outlays in millions of dollars] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- State payments Total Total ---------------------------- SSI Year\2\ Total constant Federal State State administrative 1993 payments payments Federally administered costs (fiscal dollars administered year) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1970........................ 2,939 10,870 1,801 1,138 ............ ............ .............. 1971........................ 3,206 11,360 (\3\) (\3\) ............ ............ .............. 1972........................ 3,392 11,645 1,993 1,398 ............ ............ .............. 1973........................ 3,418 11,047 1,987 1,432 ............ ............ .............. 1974........................ 5,246 15,270 3,833 1,413 1,264 149 \4\285 1975........................ 5,878 15,678 4,314 1,565 1,403 162 399 1976........................ 6,066 15,298 4,512 1,554 1,388 166 500 1977........................ 6,306 14,933 4,703 1,603 1,431 172 NA 1978........................ 6,552 14,420 4,881 1,671 1,491 180 539 1979........................ 7,075 13,984 5,279 1,796 1,590 207 610 1980........................ 7,941 13,829 5,866 2,074 1,848 226 668 1981........................ 8,593 13,565 6,518 2,076 1,839 237 718 1982........................ 8,981 13,355 6,907 2,074 1,798 276 779 1983........................ 9,404 13,549 7,423 1,981 1,711 270 830 1984........................ 10,372 14,325 8,281 2,091 1,792 299 864 1985........................ 11,060 14,750 8,777 2,283 1,973 311 953 1986........................ 12,081 15,818 9,498 2,583 2,243 340 1,022 1987........................ 12,951 16,360 10,029 2,922 2,563 359 976 1988........................ 14,375 17,631 11,368 3,007 2,645 362 975 1989........................ 14,707 17,214 11,399 3,308 2,881 427 1,051 1990........................ 16,095 17,946 12,507 3,589 3,159 431 1,075 1991........................ 17,979 19,083 14,228 3,751 3,235 516 1,257 1992........................ 21,258 21,899 17,270 3,987 3,431 556 1,538 1993........................ 24,173 24,173 20,312 3,862 3,298 564 1,467 1994\4\..................... 28,628 27,871 24,475 4,153 3,545 608 1,690 1995\4\..................... 29,955 28,355 26,085 3,870 3,215 655 1,956 1996\4\..................... 30,591 28,104 26,985 3,606 2,900 706 1,620 1997\4\..................... 36,310 32,363 32,465 3,845 3,085 760 1,798 1998\4\..................... 39,754 34,366 35,915 3,839 3,020 819 1,808 1999\4\..................... 43,623 35,425 39,430 3,833 2,950 883 1,832 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\Payments and adjustments during the respective year but not necessarily accrued for that year. \2\1970-1973 refers to Old-Age Assistance, Aid to the Blind and Aid to the Permanently and Totally Disabled; 1974-99 refers to Supplemental Security Income. \3\Data not available. \4\Estimated. Source: Office of SSI, and Office of Budget, Social Security Administration.