Your Supplemental Security Benefits (SSI)

Your Supplemental Security Benefits (SSI) https://www.ssa.gov/disabilityssi/ssi.html  You have worked hard to get supplemental security income.  The amount of the benefit is rather small.  You want the largest possible amount.  To  get the largest  possible amount,  you must know  how benefits are decided. The calculations decide the amount of the  benefit. First, your income will lower benefits.  The definition of income is not  the definition of income found in the dictionary. The Social Security Administration has its own definition. We need to use the word “income” as it is used by  the Social Security Administration.   Earned income is the money you bring home from your labor. This includes wages, net earnings from self-employment, certain royalties, honoraries,  and sheltered workshop payments. Unearned income is the income you bring home that is not a direct result of your labor. Unearned income includes any kind of benefits from the state or from Social Security, interest income, or gifts of cash from friends and relatives. Secondly, in -kind- income will reduce benefits.  In-kind- income is the value of any food and shelter that you receive for less than fair market value. In-Kind-income may be something you receive for free. Thirdly, you may have deemed income.  Deemed income will reduce your benefits. Deemed income  may be the most important type of income behind earned income. This is the part of the income earned by a person who lives with you and is a relative.   This amount directly affects your own benefit amount.  It getss added to your total countable income. Finally, your living arrangement may affect your benefits Your living arrangement have a direct effect on the total amount of your Supplemental Security benefits. You may receive free food and shelter.  Free food and free shelter counts toward  your benefits.  The Social Security Administration needs to know who is living with you.  The Social Security Administration needs to know your financial arrangement with the person you are living.  The financial arrangement impacts your benefits. The Social Security Administration calculates your total income.  They only count part of the income to determine your monthly benefit. Therefore, your total income is divided into countable income and uncountable income. The higher your countable income, then the smaller amount of benefits you will  receive.The Social Security Administration looks at both income and unearned income.