Maryland does not add a state supplement to the SSI check of someone living independently. If you rent an apartment, own a home, or live with family in Maryland, your 2026 SSI payment is the federal amount and nothing more: up to $994 a month for an individual and $1,491 for an eligible couple. Maryland's only state supplement for aged, blind, and disabled adults is Public Assistance to Adults (PAA), and it is paid solely to people certified for a licensed assisted living program, a Certified Adult Residential Environment (CARE) home, or a Maryland Department of Health rehabilitative residence. That is a real zero for most SSI recipients in the state, and it is worth knowing before you plan a budget around a supplement that is not coming.
Maryland's Supplement Is a Cost-of-Care Payment, Not a Bonus on Your Check
Most people searching for a state supplement are picturing California or New York, where the state adds a fixed amount to the federal SSI payment and the two arrive together in one deposit. Maryland does not work that way at all.
Maryland's program, Public Assistance to Adults, is defined in state regulation as "a monthly payment of State funds to an individual who has been certified for a licensed assisted living program, a CARE home, or a Maryland Department of Health (MDH) rehabilitative residence" and whose allowable needs exceed their countable income (COMAR 07.03.07.01). Three things follow from that definition:
- The Social Security Administration does not pay it. PAA is administered by the Maryland Department of Human Services through your local department of social services. It will never appear on your SSA award letter, and SSA staff cannot tell you your PAA amount.
- It is tied to a residential setting, not to your SSI status. Leave the facility and the payment stops, even if your SSI continues.
- The amount is not fixed. It is the gap between a state-set cost-of-care standard and your countable income, so two people in the same building can receive very different payments, and many receive nothing.
If you live in your own home or apartment anywhere in Maryland, none of the settings above apply to you, and there is no other optional state supplement to fall back on.
2026 Maryland PAA Payment Standards
These are the standards written into Maryland regulation at COMAR 07.03.07.04. They set a ceiling on what the state will pay toward your cost of care, plus a personal needs allowance you are meant to keep for yourself.
| Living arrangement | Monthly cost-of-care maximum | Per diem maximum |
|---|
| Licensed assisted living program | $858 | $28.22 |
| CARE home, Level A (minimal supervision) | $740 | $24.34 |
| CARE home, Level B (moderate supervision) | $849 | $27.93 |
| CARE home, Level C (extensive supervision) | $1,137 | $37.40 |
| CARE home, Level D (specialized and intensive supervision) | $1,340 | $44.08 |
| MDH rehabilitative residence or supported living program | Personal needs allowance only | N/A |
On top of the cost-of-care figure, the standard for personal and incidental needs is $82 a month for anyone receiving PAA in an assisted living program, a CARE home, or an MDH rehabilitative residence. Regulation is explicit that the personal needs allowance may not be spent on the cost of care.
Two honest caveats about these numbers. First, the cost-of-care schedule carries an effective date of January 1, 2009, and remains the published standard in COMAR as of 2026. Second, per diem rates apply when you enter care after the first day of a month, and benefits start on your date of entry if you apply in that same month.
How Maryland Calculates Your PAA Payment
The formula is short. Under COMAR 07.03.07.09, "the payment in Public Assistance to Adults, in any month, shall be the amount by which the allowable needs exceed the net countable income in that month."
Allowable needs = the cost-of-care maximum for your setting + the $82 personal needs allowance.
Net countable income = your gross income from all sources, minus the disregards in COMAR 07.03.07.08:
| Your income situation | Disregard applied |
|---|
| Unearned income only (SSI, SSDI, pension, Social Security) | $20 |
| Earned income only | $85, then half of the remainder |
| Both earned and unearned income | $20, plus $65 and half of the remaining earnings |
Here is what that produces for a Maryland resident receiving the full 2026 federal SSI payment of $994 with no other income. After the $20 unearned income disregard, net countable income is $974.
| Setting | Allowable needs | Net countable income | Estimated PAA payment |
|---|
| Assisted living | $940 | $974 | $0 |
| CARE home Level A | $822 | $974 | $0 |
| CARE home Level B | $931 | $974 | $0 |
| CARE home Level C | $1,219 | $974 | approximately $245 |
| CARE home Level D | $1,422 | $974 | approximately $448 |
This is the part most articles skip. Because the cost-of-care standards have not been raised while the federal SSI rate has climbed with each annual COLA, a person receiving the full federal SSI benefit typically gets no PAA cash in assisted living or a lower-supervision CARE home. The payment goes mainly to residents whose income sits below the standard for their setting.
A second example makes that clearer. Someone in licensed assisted living whose only income is $600 a month in SSDI has net countable income of $580 after the $20 disregard. Allowable needs are $940. The estimated PAA payment is $360 a month, paid toward the facility.
Residents of an MDH rehabilitative residence are handled differently: a disregard equal to the cost of care is applied to their income, and the resident receives the $82 personal needs allowance.
Treat all of these as illustrations of the regulation, not as a quote. Your local department of social services makes the actual determination.
Federal SSI Payment Rates for 2026
Whether or not PAA applies to you, the federal benefit rate is your baseline. The 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment took effect with the payment issued at the end of December 2025.
| Category | 2025 monthly rate | 2026 monthly rate |
|---|
| Individual | $967 | $994 |
| Eligible couple (both qualify) | $1,450 | $1,491 |
| Essential person | $484 | approximately $498 |
Resource limits did not change: $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple. PAA uses its own resource test, also $2,000 in countable resources, with vehicles, life insurance policies, up to $1,500 in designated burial funds, and irrevocable burial contracts excluded (COMAR 07.03.07.05 and .06).
Who Qualifies for Maryland's PAA Supplement
Under COMAR 07.03.07.03, you must meet all of the following in a given month:
- Be a resident of Maryland, meaning you live in the state voluntarily and not for a temporary purpose
- Be receiving a federal benefit based on age, blindness, or disability, or have filed for SSI or SSDI and be cooperating fully with the SSA application and appeals process
- Live in a licensed assisted living program, a CARE home, or an MDH rehabilitative residence
- Have allowable needs greater than your countable income
- Have countable resources at or below $2,000
If SSA issues a final unfavorable decision on your disability claim, PAA eligibility generally ends unless DHS finds good cause or its Disability Services Operations unit confirms disability through its own evaluation. Approved PAA recipients are also eligible for Medical Assistance, Maryland's Medicaid program.
How to Apply for PAA in Maryland
- Get certified for a qualifying setting first. PAA follows the placement. The assisted living program must be licensed by the Maryland Department of Health, and CARE homes are certified under COMAR 07.02.19. Facility staff or a hospital discharge planner usually start this step.
- File your SSA claim. If you are not already receiving SSI, SSDI, or Social Security retirement, you must apply. Do it at ssa.gov, by calling 1-800-772-1213, or at a local Social Security office.
- Apply for PAA online at MarylandBenefits.gov, or in person, by mail, or by fax at your local department of social services. The DHS helpline is 1-800-332-6347 (TTY 1-800-735-2258).
- Submit verifications. Expect to document income from every source, bank balances, resources, identity, Maryland residency, and your facility certification. Failure to provide verifications is one of the leading reasons PAA cases close.
- Complete an annual reconsideration. Every case is reviewed at least once every 12 months, and you must report any change in circumstances within 10 days.
What Maryland SSI Recipients Get Instead of a Supplement
If you live independently, the absence of a cash supplement does not mean Maryland offers nothing. It means the help arrives through other programs.
- Automatic Medical Assistance. Maryland is a Section 1634 state, so SSA sends your SSI eligibility data straight to the state Medicaid agency. Your SSI application doubles as your Medicaid application, and there is no separate form to file.
- SNAP. SSI counts as income for food benefits, but many single SSI recipients still qualify. Maryland also funds a supplemental SNAP benefit for seniors.
- Energy assistance. The Maryland Energy Assistance Program and the Electric Universal Service Program help with heating and electric bills.
- Medicare Savings Programs, if you also have Medicare, which can cover your Part B premium.
- Temporary Disability Assistance Program (TDAP). This is Maryland's cash program for low-income disabled adults who are waiting on a federal disability decision. The monthly benefit has recently been set at approximately $339, matched to the maximum Temporary Cash Assistance grant for a one-person household. Anyone disabled for 12 months or more must file for SSI as a condition of receiving it.
More Maryland-specific program detail is on our Maryland benefits page.
Why the Program Is So Small
Public Assistance to Adults is one of the narrowest cash programs Maryland runs. The Department of Legislative Services reported that average monthly PAA recipients through December 2024 in fiscal 2025 numbered about 2,020, which is 41.1% below the fiscal 2019 level, with the caseload falling 3% in fiscal 2024 and another 3.4% through the first half of fiscal 2025. The fiscal 2026 budget analysis recommended cutting PAA funding by $1.75 million to match those caseload trends.
Maryland has tens of thousands of SSI recipients. A PAA caseload near 2,000 is the clearest possible evidence that the state's supplement is a facility-care program, not a general boost to SSI.
Maryland SSI and PAA Resources
| What you need | Where to go |
|---|
| Apply for SSI | ssa.gov or 1-800-772-1213 |
| Apply for PAA, TDAP, SNAP | MarylandBenefits.gov or 1-800-332-6347 |
| PAA program page | dhs.maryland.gov, Public Assistance to Adults |
| Assisted living licensing | Maryland Department of Health, Office of Health Care Quality |
| Free legal help with a denial | Maryland Legal Aid, 1-866-635-2948 |
| Long-term care complaints | Maryland Long-Term Care Ombudsman, through your Area Agency on Aging |
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Maryland pay an SSI state supplement in 2026?
Only in specific residential settings. Maryland has no general optional state supplement for SSI recipients living independently. Its Public Assistance to Adults program pays toward the cost of care and an $82 personal needs allowance for people in licensed assisted living, a CARE home, or a Maryland Department of Health rehabilitative residence.
How much is SSI in Maryland in 2026?
For someone living independently, up to $994 a month for an individual and $1,491 for an eligible couple, the same as every other state. Maryland adds nothing to that figure. Your actual payment is reduced by any countable income you have.
Do I apply to SSA or to Maryland for the supplement?
To Maryland. PAA is entirely state-administered through your local department of social services, and you apply at MarylandBenefits.gov or your local office. SSA has no role in it and cannot look up your PAA amount.
Will PAA reduce my SSI check?
Generally no. SSA excludes assistance based on need that is wholly funded by a state or local government from countable income, so a PAA payment normally does not lower your federal SSI benefit. Confirm your specific case with SSA, since other changes in income or living arrangement can affect the payment.
What are the CARE home supervision levels?
CARE stands for Certified Adult Residential Environment, a supervised residential alternative to institutional care for adults who cannot live unsupervised in the community. Maryland certifies four levels of supervision, A through D, with monthly cost-of-care standards of $740, $849, $1,137, and $1,340 respectively. Higher levels reflect more intensive supervision and personal care.
Does SSI automatically give me Medicaid in Maryland?
Yes. Maryland is a Section 1634 state, so SSA transmits your eligibility to the state and Medical Assistance coverage starts without a separate application. Approved PAA recipients are also eligible for Medical Assistance.
What if I am disabled but not yet approved for SSI?
Look at TDAP. Maryland's Temporary Disability Assistance Program provides a small monthly cash payment, recently around $339, to low-income disabled adults, including those waiting on a federal disability decision. Benefits are limited to 12 months in any 36-month period unless you are actively pursuing SSI approval.
