Due the fact that Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a financial needs based program for the elderly and people who have been found disabled, Social Security offers a special program that will get payments out to beneficiaries in an expedited manner. The SSI emergency payments are for people who are facing a financial emergency, but who are also due SSI benefits. This is not a program that gets a lot of attention, but beneficiaries should be aware that there are avenues to travel that will get your benefits to you sooner if you are facing a financial crisis. Below is a description from Social Security about the emergency advance payment program.
EMERGENCY ADVANCE PAYMENT
We may be able to make an emergency advance payment to new applicants, who face a financial emergency and who are due SSI benefits that are delayed or not received. We can only pay one such advance payment. The maximum emergency advance payment you may receive is the smallest of:
- the SSI Federal benefit rate (plus any federally administered State supplement);
- the total amount of the benefits due; or
- the amount requested for the financial emergency.
WHO CAN RECEIVE AN EMERGENCY ADVANCE PAYMENT?
People who:
- Are due SSI benefits (including PD or PB payments) that are delayed or not received.
- Are facing a “financial emergency” which means they need money right away due to a threat to health or safety, such as not enough money for food, clothing, shelter or medical care.
HOW DO WE RECOVER AN EMERGENCY ADVANCE PAYMENT?
We will subtract the emergency advance payment from the payments already due you and pay you the difference. If you are not due past payments, we will subtract the emergency advance payment from your current monthly benefits in up to 6 monthly installments.
