Q. A family member is 18, a senior in high school, with a learning disability. We’ve been encouraged to apply for SSI, but there are financial assets in this person’s name. What is the highest value of assets a person is allowed in order to get SSI? We don’t want to fill out the application if this person isn’t eligible.
A. The individual resource limit for Supplementary Security Income (SSI) eligibility is $2,000. An additional $1,500 can be set aside for future burial expenses. In general, all other assets must be spent down before the individual can qualify.
In an exception to the above limits, the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act (ABLE) became law on December 19, 2014. The law aims to ease financial strains faced by individuals with disabilities by making tax-free saving accounts available to cover qualified disability expenses. Up to $100,000 of funds in an Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) account established through a State ABLE program may be exempt. Check the following from the Social Security Administration web site for additional information: