Trump Administration Proposes Tightening SSI Eligibility Rules, Counting Family Support as Income

The Social Security Administration submitted a proposed rule last July that would reduce monthly Supplemental Security Income payments for roughly 275,000 beneficiaries and end eligibility for more than 100,000 others. The change would cut payments by up to $331 a month for affected recipients.

” In 2024 the Biden administration expanded that definition so that an entire household qualified if one member received SNAP benefits.

The Trump administration rule would remove SNAP from the list and return to the prior standard that requires every household member to receive public assistance. Under the new definition, any housing or food assistance a beneficiary receives from family members would be counted as unearned income.

The SSA would deduct the estimated value of that housing from the beneficiary’s monthly government check.

The maximum monthly federal SSI benefit is currently $994, an amount equal to roughly three-quarters of the federal poverty guidelines for a single person. Affected recipients would see their checks reduced by about 33 percent to $663 each month. The SSA stated that the proposal is intended to protect and maintain the long-term integrity of the benefits program.

The policy is not yet in effect and must complete a regulatory process that includes a mandatory public comment period and administrative review. The Independent reported that advocacy organizations and state officials have criticized the plan, saying it would disproportionately affect indigent seniors and adults with disabilities who live with family without paying full rent.