We realize it may be a stretch for ordinary people to want to keep up with the comings and goings of the Social Security Administration, but sometimes circumstances permit where someone does want to follow the latest news regarding the agency due to a possible retirement or disability interest. This blog is an ongoing piecemeal of recent stories that have involved Social Security. Some are tidbits and some are important things that should be known in the world of retirement or disability and others are just interesting stories and nothing more.
New Rule Would Remove Food Support In-Kind Support
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries are limited in how much income and assets they can have to meet the non-medical rules for SSI. When an SSI beneficiary is determined to be disabled by the agency, Social Security has to then determine if the beneficiary’s income from all sources is too much to qualify them for payments. For years food support has been counted against SSI recipients, which can lower benefit amounts, but a new rule will finally change after the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved the proposal and SSI beneficiaries will not longer be penalized for receiving food support.
The rule change will not be implemented immediately as the rule must first be published in the Federal Register for public comment. Comments will then be considered and final version of the change must be submitted and approved by the OMB again. It is likely to take many moths before the rule change in official. Below is the current Social Security rule regarding in-kind support before changes are made.
In-kind support and maintenance is food, shelter, or both that somebody else provides for you. We count in-kind support and maintenance as income when we figure the amount of your SSI benefits. For example, if someone helps pay for your rent, mortgage, food, or utilities, we reduce the amount of your SSI benefits. Receiving in-kind support and maintenance can reduce your monthly SSI benefits as much as $300.33, depending on the value of the help you receive.
Republican Now Leads House Social Security Subcommittee
The Republican Party took control of the U.S. House of Representatives in January, which results in a Republican who will now be chair of the House Subcommittee on Social Security. U.S. Rep. Drew Ferguson, a republican from Georgia will now lead the subcommittee with former subcommittee chair John B. Larson, a democrat, taking over the role of ranking member on the committee. Ferguson was first elected to Congress in 2016 and was re-elected in 2018, 2020 and 2022.
