About 1.4 million Americans 65 and older get both a Social Security check and a Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payment, according to Social Security's Monthly Statistical Snapshot for August 2026. The snapshot puts the number at 1,432,000. SSI is a separate federal payment for people with little income and little savings, and a Social Security check does not rule it out.
A Social Security blog post from January 2025 reads: "About 1.4 million people 65 and older receive both SSI and Social Security." Of the 2,514,000 SSI recipients who are 65 or older, more than half also get a Social Security check, according to the August 2026 snapshot.
Who can qualify in 2026
In 2026, SSI pays up to $994 a month for one person and up to $1,491 for a married couple who both qualify, according to Social Security. Social Security counts your Social Security benefit as income. It ignores the first $20 and subtracts the rest from $994. So a single person who pays their own housing costs and whose only income is a Social Security benefit under $1,014 a month can qualify, if their savings are $2,000 or less.
Use the full benefit amount before the Medicare premium comes out, not the deposit in your bank. When the $202.90 Medicare Part B premium is taken out of your check, Social Security still counts it as income. A person who sees $850 deposited after the premium has a $1,052.90 benefit, which is over the $1,014 line.
Savings must be $2,000 or less for one person or $3,000 or less for a married couple. The home you live in does not count. One car used for getting around does not count either. For a married couple living together, Social Security counts both spouses' income and savings.
All the SSI figures in this article assume you live in your own place and pay your own rent or mortgage. If someone else pays part of your rent, mortgage or utilities, Social Security can lower the SSI payment.
What SSI adds to a Social Security check
Here is the federal math for a single person in 2026 whose only income is Social Security, who lives in their own home and has savings under $2,000.
| Social Security benefit | Counted income (benefit minus $20) | SSI payment ($994 minus counted income) | Total each month |
|---|
| $600 | $580 | $414 | $1,014 |
| $800 | $780 | $214 | $1,014 |
| $1,000 | $980 | $14 | $1,014 |
In each row, SSI brings the person's total to $1,014 a month. The SSI payment shrinks as the Social Security benefit grows, and it stops at a benefit of $1,014.
Even a $14 SSI payment opens other help. People who are eligible for SSI are generally eligible for Medicaid, according to Social Security. Medicare.gov says a person with Medicare who gets SSI payments qualifies for Extra Help with drug costs automatically.
Some states add their own money. In California, a senior living in their own home can get up to $1,233.94 a month in combined SSI and state payment in 2026, according to the California Department of Social Services. Federal rules let the state part go, in a smaller amount, to people whose income is too high for federal SSI. So a Californian living in their own home, with a Social Security benefit under $1,253.94 a month before the Medicare premium and savings of $2,000 or less, can qualify for part of the state payment. Six states pay no supplement at all: Arizona, Arkansas, Mississippi, North Dakota, Tennessee and West Virginia. Social Security's SSI benefits page lists which states add a payment and who pays it.
What changes in 2027
The 2027 SSI amounts are not set yet. Social Security will announce them in October with the yearly cost-of-living raise, after the government's September inflation report comes out on October 14, 2026. The top SSI amount rises by the same percentage as Social Security checks. The 2026 amounts in this article apply through December 2026.
The savings limits do not rise with the cost-of-living raise. Federal law set them at $2,000 for one person and $3,000 for a couple in 1989, and they have not changed since. The SSI savings rules explain what counts.
How to apply
- Call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. (TTY 1-800-325-0778). Ask for an appointment to apply for SSI. Social Security's apply page offers people 65 and older no online SSI form. The appointment is by phone or in person. You can also visit a local Social Security office.
- Call before you gather papers. If you keep the appointment, Social Security may use the date of your call as your filing date. SSI is not paid for months before that date.
- Have your numbers ready. Expect questions about your income, your bank accounts and who pays for your housing.
- Check other programs at the same time. See what you qualify for.
For the full rules on getting both payments, including back pay, see SSI and Social Security retirement at the same time.
Sources
- Social Security Administration, Monthly Statistical Snapshot, August 2026, Tables 1 and 3
- Social Security Administration, You May Be Eligible for SSI and Social Security Benefits, January 16, 2025
- Social Security Administration, SSI Federal Payment Amounts for 2026
- Social Security Administration, Understanding SSI: Income, Resources, Living Arrangements, Benefits and Application Process, 2026 editions
- Social Security Administration, POMS SI 00830.210, on counting Medicare premiums as income
- Social Security Administration, Apply for Supplemental Security Income
- Social Security Act, Section 1611, and 20 CFR 416.2025
- CMS, 2026 Medicare Parts A and B Premiums and Deductibles
- Medicare.gov, Help with drug costs
- California Department of Social Services, SSI Total Monthly Payment Amounts 2026
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index release schedule
