The Honorable Adelita Grijalva
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515

The Honorable Jan Schakowsky
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515

The Honorable James Moylan
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515

*A copy of this letter was also sent to the Senate 

Dear Representatives Grijalva, Schakowsky and Moylan:

On behalf of the millions of members and supporters of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, I am writing to endorse your bill, the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Restoration Act. The National Committee commends you for introducing this bill, which strengthens and restores the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program for the 7.4 million low-income seniors and people with disabilities who depend on the program for basic income support.

Supplemental Security Income is a vital program administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA) that provides modest cash assistance to people who can no longer work enough to meet their basic needs to do age, disability, or both. SSI was signed into law in 1972 by President Richard Nixon, and many of its provisions have not changed since that time. While it is administered by SSA, it is not funded through payroll taxes nor does it draw money from the Social Security Trust Funds. It is a needs based safety net program funded through general tax revenue intended to help keep out of poverty people who have worked hard all their lives at low-wage jobs.

Your bill updates provisions in the SSI program that are woefully out of date, some of which have never been adjusted for inflation since the program’s enactment in 1972. The cost of living today is more than 5.5 times what it was in 1972, yet the average monthly benefit for older adults is only $575 a month, far below the federal poverty line and far below the cost of essentials such as food, housing and prescription drugs. Your bill increases the basic benefit amount to 100 percent of the federal poverty level, requires it to be adjusted annually for inflation, and repeals an existing marriage penalty.

Rules that disregard a portion of an individual’s income when determining an individual’s eligibility for SSI benefits have not changed in over 50 years, and the general income exclusion has remained constant at $20 per month, while the monthly exclusion for earnings is still $65. Your legislation would update all of those levels to more accurately reflect economic changes over the decades.

Another shortcoming of the SSI program is its asset limit. Since 1989 this limit has been set at $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a married couple. This unrealistic limit prevents many truly needy people from qualifying for SSI. The SSI Restoration Act would increase this limit to $10,000 for an individual and $20,000 for an eligible couple, which represents more realistic amounts for planning for emergencies and other unexpected expenses.

The SSI Restoration Act also addresses rules requiring a loss of some benefits for SSI beneficiaries who also receive non-cash in-kind assistance. These provisions are unfair to affected individuals and have proven to be enormously difficult for the Social Security Administration to administer. Your bill repeals penalties for in-kind support, resource transfers, state taxes and tribal benefits. It also streamlines lump-sum and back payments, and extends SSI benefits to eligible residents of Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa. All of these changes will help improve the lives of older adults living in poverty, and reduce the incidence of payment errors in this vital program, all while improving the ability of the Social Security Administration to administer SSI’s benefits.

The National Committee proudly endorses the “Supplemental Security Income Restoration Act.” This bill represents an important step in modernizing this long-neglected program, and we thank you for your leadership in this important endeavor.

Sincerely,

Max Richtman

President and CEO