Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

What this actually is

SSI is monthly cash for people who are 65 or older, blind, or disabled, and who have little or no income and few resources. It does NOT require a work history — that is the difference from SSDI and the reason it exists. Applying is free at ssa.gov, by phone, or at an office; nobody has to be paid to submit it for you. The commonest misunderstanding is that you must have worked or paid in. You need not have. You can also receive SSI and SSDI at the same time if you qualify for both, and SSA decides that from one application. (Note: ssa.gov blocked automated retrieval on 2026-09-14, so this entry is verified against USA.gov, the government’s own directory.)

Who qualifies, and what trips people up

Little or no income, and either a disability, blindness, or age 65+. There are strict resource limits, which is what trips people up — savings, a second vehicle, or money sitting in someone else’s account "for" you can disqualify you, and an ABLE account (below) is the legal way around part of that. Children’s SSI claims must be started online but finished by phone or in person.