GOOD TO KNOW: SSI state supplement

Federal law gives states the option to pay an additional supplement to recipients of federal SSI benefits. The state of Wisconsin provides this supplement to eligible individuals. Thus, individuals participating in the SSI program in Wisconsin may receive cash benefits from two sources: a federal SSI portion and a state supplement.

Eligibility

An applicant for the SSI state supplement will qualify only if he or she qualifies for the federal SSI program. This means that an individual must apply for and meet the non-financial and financial eligibility criteria of the federal SSI program. The Social Security Administration is responsible for making eligibility determinations for the federal SSI program. In addition, an applicant for the SSI state supplement must reside in Wisconsin to be eligible for the supplement.

Benefits

For 2010, the SSI state supplement payment rate is 83.78 for an individual and $132.05 for a couple. While the amount of an SSI recipient’s federal benefit may vary according to his or her other monthly income, he or she will receive the full SSI state supplement as long as he or she receives at least one dollar of federal SSI benefits. Therefore, in 2010 an individual living in his or her own house who is eligible for the full federal SSI benefit would receive a total monthly SSI benefit of $757.78 ($674 in federal benefits and $83.78 in state supplement). An eligible married couple residing in their own home could receive up to $1,143.05 (the full federal benefit of $1,011 plus the $132.05 in state supplement). These figures will vary depending upon the living arrangement and, for married couples, the eligibility status of the applicant’s spouse.

Recipients of both federal SSI and the state supplement will receive a monthly payment from each program. Similar to federal SSI payments, state SSI supplement payments can be made by a paper check or by electronic funds transfer into a savings or checking account.

Application for the SSI state supplement

In Wisconsin, an application for the federal SSI program is also an application for the SSI state supplement. An application for the federal SSI program must be made by phone or in person or an office of the Social Security Administration (SSA). It may take several months for the SSA to complete an applicant’s eligibility review. However, once the SSA finds an applicant eligible for the federal SSI program, he or she is automatically eligible for the state supplement. This may include retroactive benefits. Information about the individual’s eligibility will then be transferred from the SSA to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, which administers the state supplement program.

Important: If you are receiving federal SSI benefits but are not receiving state SSI benefits, contact your county human services department to verify your eligibility or contact your elderly benefit specialist.

If you have any additional questions, you may call Pat Hafermann, elderly benefits specialist with the Aging and Disability Resource Center, at (920) 467-4076.

Resource: “The Specialist” February 2010