On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package. With the passing of the American Rescue Plan, many SSI beneficiaries will receive another round of economic impact payments, or stimulus payments, as a result of the economy difficulties experienced by many from COVID-19. However, because SSI is an income-based program to which recipients’ benefits are based on their household income, many have asked if a stimulus payment from the American Rescue Plan will affect their SSI benefits.
Social Security has stated that any economic impact payment will not be considered as income for SSI recipients and the payments are excluded from resources for 12 months. Similar to the other 2 stimulus payments, SSI benefits will not be impacted as a result of these payments. However, SSI beneficiaries or their representative payees must spend the economic stimulus payment within 12 months of the payment being issued or the payment could impact their SSI benefits. For those recipients with a representative payee, the representative payee should have received the economy impact payment for the SSI beneficiary in the same direct deposit account or Direct Express card as the recipient’s monthly Social Security or SSI payment.
For more information on the Medicare Savings Program and Social Security disability, contact an experienced Social Security disability attorney at Gardberg & Kemmerly, P.C. today at 251-343-1111 for a free case evaluation. Gardberg & Kemmerly, P.C. represents Social Security disability claimants in Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, and Louisiana at all levels of the disability process from initial application to appeals to Federal Court.
