The maximum federal SSI payment for 2027 is $1,029 a month for one person and $1,544 for a married couple, after a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment that Social Security announced on October 14, 2026. Because SSA ignores part of what you earn, one person with only job income can make up to about $2,143 a month before the federal SSI payment reaches zero. With only unearned income, such as Social Security benefits, the line is about $1,049 a month. The asset limits stay at $2,000 for one person and $3,000 for a couple.
These 2027 figures start with the January 2027 payment, which arrives on December 31, 2026 because January 1 is a holiday. Until then, the 2026 rates of $994 and $1,491 are the ones being paid. If you want the figures in force today, see our SSI income limits 2026 guide.
SSI 2027 at a Glance
| Figure | 2026 (paid now) | 2027 (announced) |
|---|
| Maximum federal payment, individual | $994/month | $1,029/month |
| Maximum federal payment, couple | $1,491/month | $1,544/month |
| Essential person increment | $498/month | $516/month |
| Resource limit, individual | $2,000 | $2,000 |
| Resource limit, couple | $3,000 | $3,000 |
| Student earned income exclusion | $2,410/month, $9,730/year | $2,500/month, $10,080/year |
| Wage-only income limit, individual (approximate) | $2,073/month | $2,143/month |
| Wage-only income limit, couple (approximate) | $3,067/month | $3,173/month |
| Unearned-only income limit, individual | $1,014/month | $1,049/month |
| Unearned-only income limit, couple | $1,511/month | $1,564/month |
The payment amounts, resource limits and student exclusion come from Social Security's 2027 COLA fact sheet and its SSI federal payment amounts page. The income limits in the bottom four rows are not separate SSA figures. They are what the federal payment rate works out to after SSA's standard income exclusions, explained below. The essential person increment only applies to someone who has lived with the recipient since 1973 under a state aid plan, so almost no new applicant will see it.
How SSI Counts Your Income
SSI does not use a single income cutoff. SSA starts with your gross income, removes certain exclusions, and subtracts what is left (your "countable income") from the maximum payment. Whatever remains is your SSI check.
The exclusions work in this order:
- The first $20 a month of most income is ignored. This is the general income exclusion. It comes off unearned income first. If you have no unearned income, it comes off your wages.
- The next $65 a month of earned income is ignored.
- Half of the earned income left after that is ignored.
- Some income is never counted, such as SNAP benefits and most housing assistance. More on that below.
So for one person in 2027, the math is:
Federal SSI payment = $1,029 minus countable income
Earned income is wages and net self-employment earnings. Unearned income is almost everything else: Social Security retirement or disability benefits, pensions, unemployment, alimony, and cash gifts.
The rules for counting income did not change for 2027. Only the payment rate went up, and because the rate went up, every income limit moved up with it.
2027 SSI Chart: Earnings vs. Estimated Payment
This chart assumes one person, 2027 rates, wages as the only income, no state supplement, and no in-kind support reduction.
| Gross monthly wages | Countable income | Estimated 2027 federal SSI |
|---|
| $0 | $0 | $1,029.00 |
| $85 | $0 | $1,029.00 |
| $500 | $207.50 | $821.50 |
| $800 | $357.50 | $671.50 |
| $1,000 | $457.50 | $571.50 |
| $1,200 | $557.50 | $471.50 |
| $1,500 | $707.50 | $321.50 |
| $1,800 | $857.50 | $171.50 |
| $2,000 | $957.50 | $71.50 |
| About $2,143 | $1,029.00 | $0 |
Here is how the $1,000 row works: $1,000 minus $20 minus $65 leaves $915. Half of $915 is $457.50, so that is your countable income. $1,029 minus $457.50 leaves an estimated $571.50 in SSI. Your wages plus SSI come to about $1,571.50, so working leaves you well ahead of SSI alone.
The rough rule: every $2 you earn above the first $85 lowers your SSI by about $1.
2027 SSI Chart: Social Security and Other Unearned Income
Unearned income gets only the $20 exclusion, so it lowers SSI almost dollar for dollar. This chart assumes one person and 2027 rates.
| Monthly Social Security or other unearned income | Countable income | Estimated 2027 federal SSI |
|---|
| $200 | $180 | $849 |
| $400 | $380 | $649 |
| $600 | $580 | $449 |
| $800 | $780 | $249 |
| $1,000 | $980 | $49 |
| $1,049 or more | $1,029 or more | $0 |
This is the case for many people who get a small Social Security disability or retirement check plus SSI. Those Social Security benefits also get their own 3.6% raise in January 2027, so the two changes partly cancel. If your Social Security check goes up by $25 and the SSI rate goes up by $35, your combined total goes up by about $35, not $60.
Mixed Income Example
Say one person gets $400 a month from Social Security and earns $600 a month at a part-time job in 2027.
- Unearned: $400 minus the $20 general exclusion = $380 countable
- Earned: $600 minus $65 = $535, then half of that = $267.50 countable
- Total countable income: $647.50
- Estimated 2027 SSI: $1,029 minus $647.50 = $381.50 a month
Total monthly income: $400 + $600 + $381.50 = $1,381.50.
Income Limits for Couples
When both spouses get SSI, SSA combines their income and measures it against the couple rate of $1,544. The exclusions apply once to the couple, not once per person.
| Couple's income type | Approximate 2027 limit |
|---|
| Wages only | $3,173/month |
| Unearned only | $1,564/month |
The couple rate is less than twice the individual rate. That is why two people who each get SSI often receive less after they marry. Our SSI marriage penalty guide walks through that.
If only one spouse is eligible, SSA may "deem" part of the other spouse's income to the eligible spouse. Parents' income is deemed to a child under 18 in the same way. Deeming has its own allowances, so a family can be over the limits in these tables and still get some SSI.
Income That Does Not Count
SSA leaves out several kinds of help when it figures countable income. Common ones:
- SNAP (food stamps) benefits
- Most federal housing assistance
- Home energy assistance (LIHEAP)
- Income tax refunds
- The earned income tax credit and child tax credit
- Food that someone else gives you or pays for (since September 30, 2024, food no longer counts as in-kind support)
- Work expenses tied to your disability (impairment-related work expenses)
- Money set aside under an approved Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS)
For the full list, see our guide to SSI income exclusions.
Help With Rent or Shelter
Free or reduced-cost shelter still counts as "in-kind support and maintenance." If you live in someone else's home and do not pay your share of household costs, SSA can cut your SSI by one-third of the federal rate. In 2027 that is $343 a month ($1,029 divided by 3). In other living situations, the value of shelter help is capped at one-third of the rate plus $20, or about $363 for 2027, and you can show SSA that the real value is lower.
The Student Earned Income Exclusion for 2027
If you are under 22 and regularly attending school, SSA can ignore up to $2,500 a month of your earnings in 2027, up to $10,080 for the year. This exclusion is applied before the $20 and $65 exclusions. A student working a summer job can often keep the full SSI payment.
See the SSI student rules guide for who counts as a student.
The 2027 Resource Limits
Income is only half of the test. Your countable resources must be $2,000 or less for one person, or $3,000 for a couple, measured on the first day of the month. These limits have not changed since 1989 and do not rise with the COLA.
Things SSA does not count include:
- The home you live in
- One vehicle used for transportation
- Household goods and personal belongings
- Burial plots, and burial funds up to $1,500 per person
- Money in an ABLE account up to $100,000
- Retroactive SSI or Social Security payments, for 9 months after you receive them
More detail is in our SSI resource limits 2027 guide.
State Supplements Can Raise the Limit
Many states add a monthly payment on top of federal SSI. In those states, the total payment and the income line can be higher than the federal figures on this page. Most states will not publish their 2027 supplement amounts until late 2026 or early 2027, so check your state's page. For the current amounts, see SSI state supplements by state.
Working on SSI in 2027
SSI does not stop the moment you earn a certain amount. Your payment shrinks gradually, as the chart above shows. Two rules protect people who work:
- Section 1619(a): if you already get SSI because of a disability, you can keep getting a reduced SSI payment even when your earnings go over the substantial gainful activity level ($1,770 a month in 2027).
- Section 1619(b): if your earnings are high enough that the SSI cash payment stops, Medicaid can usually continue, up to a state-specific earnings threshold.
Substantial gainful activity matters mainly when SSA first decides whether you are disabled. The $1,770 figure applies to people who are not blind. Blind SSI applicants do not face an SGA test.
Timing: Your Wages Affect SSI Two Months Later
SSI uses retrospective monthly accounting. Income you receive in one month generally changes your SSI payment two months later. Wages earned in March 2027 typically affect the May 2027 payment. That lag is why reporting on time matters.
How to Apply or Report Income: Step by Step
If you are applying for SSI:
- Gather documents. Bring proof of age and citizenship or immigration status, pay stubs or award letters for any income, bank statements, your lease or mortgage, and medical records if you are applying based on disability.
- Start the application. Call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), visit a local office, or begin online at ssa.gov/ssi. Many people can start online and finish by phone.
- Protect your filing date. Your contact with SSA can set your filing date, which affects back pay. Write down the date and the name of anyone you speak with.
- Complete the interview. SSA will ask about income, resources and living arrangements. Answer for the month you are applying in.
- Watch for the decision. If you are denied, you generally have 60 days, plus 5 days for mail, to appeal.
If you already get SSI and work:
- Keep every pay stub. SSA counts gross wages, before taxes.
- Report your wages each month. Use the SSI Mobile Wage Reporting app, the telephone wage reporting line, your my Social Security account, or your local office.
- Report by the 6th of the following month. SSA asks for wages by the 6th. The legal deadline is the 10th.
- Report other changes within 10 days of the end of the month they happened in, such as a move, marriage, or someone joining your household.
Late or missing reports are the most common cause of SSI overpayments, which SSA will later try to collect.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the SSI maximum for 2027?
The maximum federal SSI payment for 2027 is $1,029 a month for an individual and $1,544 a month for an eligible couple. That is a 3.6% increase from the 2026 rates of $994 and $1,491. Some states pay an additional supplement on top of these amounts.
What is the SSI income limit for 2027?
There is no single number. For one person with only wages, the federal payment reaches zero at about $2,143 a month. For one person with only unearned income such as Social Security, it reaches zero at about $1,049 a month. For couples, the lines are about $3,173 in wages or $1,564 in unearned income.
When does the 2027 SSI amount start?
The new rate applies to the January 2027 payment. Because January 1, 2027 is a federal holiday, that payment is scheduled for December 31, 2026. Our SSI payment schedule 2027 lists every deposit date.
Did the SSI asset limit go up for 2027?
No. The resource limit stays at $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple in 2027. These limits are set by law and do not change with the cost-of-living adjustment.
Do I need to reapply to get the 2027 increase?
No. The increase is automatic. SSA usually mails a notice of your new amount in December, and you can also see it in your my Social Security account.
If I get Social Security and SSI, will I get both raises?
Both programs get the 3.6% COLA, but your Social Security raise counts as income for SSI. Your SSI payment goes down by about the same amount your Social Security goes up, so your combined total rises by about the SSI rate increase ($35 a month for an individual).
Can I work full time and keep SSI?
Possibly, depending on your wages. One person earning less than about $2,143 a month in 2027, with no other income, would still get some federal SSI. Above that, Section 1619(b) can keep Medicaid going even after the cash payment stops.
Does the money my family gives me count against SSI?
Cash gifts count as unearned income. Food someone buys for you no longer counts. Free rent or shelter can reduce your payment by up to about $343 a month in 2027, depending on your living arrangement.
Sources
- Social Security Administration, "2027 Social Security Changes" COLA fact sheet (ssa.gov/news/en/cola/factsheets/2027.html)
- Social Security Administration, "SSI Federal Payment Amounts for 2027" (ssa.gov/oact/cola/SSI.html)
- Social Security Administration, SSI Monthly Payment Amounts, 1975 to 2027 (ssa.gov/oact/cola/SSIamts.html)
- 20 CFR 416.1112 and 416.1124 (earned and unearned income exclusions)
- 20 CFR 416.1130 to 416.1140 (in-kind support and maintenance)
- Social Security Administration, Reporting Wages for SSI (ssa.gov/ssi/wage-reporting.html)
This page is for general information. Social Security decides eligibility and payment amounts based on your full situation.
