The Social Security (SSA) recently changed its rules about how pandemic-related financial assistance can affect individuals' eligibility for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or monthly SSI benefit amount. Previously, the SSA had been counting many forms of assistance and resources as income for SSI purposes. However, due to the ongoing pandemic and its severity, SSA has decided they will not count most types of pandemic-related financial assistance against SSI eligibility or benefit amount.
SSA is now reviewing SSI applications, appeals, and other records back to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, to restore SSI payments for people whose SSI was affected by receiving any assistance listed below.
A list of pandemic-related financial assistance not being counted is listed:
• Economic Impact Payments (EIP)
• State Stimulus Payments (including California’s Golden State Stimulus Payments and Golden State
Grant Program payments; Maryland’s stimulus payments for EITC filers; and New Mexico’s tax
rebates for recipients of the Working Families Tax Credit)
• Unemployment Assistance (also includes regular state unemployment benefits, with the time period
for the exclusion in certain states ending in June or July 20211)
• Paycheck Protection Program (PPP): Loan Forgiveness to Employers and Self-Employed Individuals
• Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program: Loans/Grants to Employers and Self-Employed
Individuals /Grants:
• Coronavirus Food Assistance Program—Direct Payments to Farmers and Ranchers
• COVID-19 Veteran Rapid Retraining Assistance Program
• COVID-19 Funeral Assistance
• Emergency Rental Assistance Fund
• Emergency Assistance for Rural Housing/Rural Rental Assistance
• Homeowner Assistance Fund
• Housing Assistance and Supportive Services Programs for Native Americans
• Tribal Payments from the Coronavirus Relief Fund and the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal
Recovery Funds:
• Supporting Foster Youth and Families
• Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund
• Emergency Assistance to Children and Families through the Pandemic Emergency Assistance Fund
• Farm Loan Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers
• USDA Assistance and Support for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers, Ranchers, Forest Land Owners and Operators, and Groups
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