According to Lagradaonline, Recently, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced that millions of recipients of the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program will no longer receive their regular benefits. According to SSA figures, over 100,000 people nationwide were removed from the SSI rolls last year. Comparing the data, in May 2023, 7,380,737 individuals received SSI payments, while in May 2024, that number dropped to 7,261,342—a decrease of 119,395 beneficiaries. If you currently qualify for SSI or are considering applying for this program, it’s important to understand the reasons behind this decline.
Who is Affected by the Changes?
SSI benefits are primarily available to blind adults and children who have little or no income and are disabled. This demographic accounts for approximately 6.1 million of the 7.2 million people receiving SSI benefits, with the remaining 1.1 million being aged 65 and over. Specifically, there was a total decrease of 140,034 in the two eligible categories of blind or disabled claimants, dropping from 6,281,068 in May 2023 to 6,141,034 in May 2024. Interestingly, the number of beneficiaries aged 65 and older increased, with 20,639 more beneficiaries overall in this category (1,120,308) compared to the previous year (1,099,669).
Reasons for the Decrease in SSI Beneficiaries
The reasons behind the significant drop in the number of blind or disabled recipients are not immediately clear. Newsweek contacted the SSA for clarification and learned that over 10,000 individuals in several states were no longer enrolled in SSI benefits. Notably, California experienced a decrease of 16,573 SSI applications between May 2023 and May 2024, despite having the highest number of applications among all states. Additionally, more than 17,000 individuals who were receiving disability benefits became ineligible, with most classified as blind or disabled; this group saw a decline from 708,695 to 690,351 beneficiaries.
Texas also faced a decrease, with 14,587 fewer SSI recipients, dropping from 591,710 in May 2023 to 577,123. Similarly, New York reported a decrease in SSI beneficiaries from 568,777 to 559,222. In contrast, some states saw relatively stable numbers; for instance, North Dakota’s SSI recipients decreased by just 17, from 7,923 to 7,906, all of whom were either blind or disabled. Other states, like Rhode Island, reported minor fluctuations, with beneficiaries decreasing by about 300 annually, from 30,317 in 2023 to 30,015 in May 2024.
Changes to Disability Benefits and SSI Applications
In response to the changing landscape of disability benefits, the SSA announced updates to how applications for the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program and SSI benefits will be reviewed. These changes aim to streamline the disability determination process. The agency introduced new rules designed to improve the claims process and reduce wait times for decisions.
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The updated regulations simplify the fourth step of the evaluation, which assesses whether an applicant can perform any relevant work. Moving forward, the agency will only look back five years to determine prior relevant work, a change that took effect on June 22, 2024. Previously, the SSA required extensive information about applicants’ employment history spanning 15 years, which often resulted in challenges in providing accurate information.
Additionally, jobs that begin and end in less than 30 calendar days will no longer be considered in the evaluation process. As the SSA stated, “The new regulation makes it easier for people to apply for benefits since they may focus on their most recent relevant job activity while still providing enough information for accurate evaluations.”
Conclusion
The reduction in SSI beneficiaries highlights the complexities within the program and the changing circumstances affecting applicants. Understanding the reasons behind these changes, along with the new application processes, is crucial for both current and prospective SSI recipients.
