1 The SSI Program The Supplemental Security Income program provides the first, and
only, nationally guaranteed minimum level of income to a particular
segment of the population -- the aged, blind, and disabled. This chap-
ter discusses the major features of the program. The discussion is not
intended to be comprehensive, but rather to highlight the most impor-
tant aspects of the program and to compare SSI with the programs
it replaced.
Payment Standards The monthly SSI payment standards from 1974 to 1979 for the basic
needs of individuals and couples living independently are shown in
Table 1. These standards are the maximum amount paid for food,
clothing, shelter, and other essentials of daily living to persons who
have no countable income and satisfy all other eligibility criteria. In
addition to the allowance for basic needs, additional payments may
be made to cover special needs arising from emergencies and other
extraordinary circumstances. Before SSI, aged, blind, and disabled persons could receive wel-
fare payments under one of the following programs: Old Age Assist-
ance, Assistance to the Blind, Assistance to the Permanently and
Totally Disabled, and Assistance to the Aged, Blind, and Disabled. 1
Payment standards, as well as other eligibility prerequisites, were
established by the states, subject to federal regulations and guidelines.
Payments to persons with no countable income often equaled the ____________________
| 1 | For a description of individual state programs, see U.S. Department of Health,
Education, and Welfare, Characteristics of State Public Assistance Plans under
the Social Security Act, Report no. 50 ( 1974). | -1- |