The 3.6% COLA will raise the maximum Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payment to $1,029 a month in 2027. However, one of the program’s strictest requirements will not change: the resource limit remains at $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple.
These figures have not been updated since 1989. If they had kept up with inflation, they would be several times higher. Several bills in Congress have proposed raising them, but none has become law.
Basic requirements to receive SSI
- Age or disability | being 65 or older, blind or disabled.
- Limited income | the income counted must be below the federal payment, $1,029 in 2027 for an individual.
- Limited resources | $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple.
- Residence and status | living in the United States and being a citizen or an eligible noncitizen.
What counts as a resource
The SSA counts cash, bank accounts, stocks, bonds and any property that could be converted into cash. Some important assets are excluded:
- The home where the recipient lives.
- One vehicle, regardless of its value, if used for transportation.
- Burial funds of up to $1,500 and burial plots.
- ABLE accounts up to $100,000, for people whose disability began at an early age.
Since 2024, food that family or friends provide is no longer counted as income. We explained the rules in detail in our guide on who qualifies for SSI.
The risk of going over the limit
If on the first day of a month the recipient has more than $2,000 in countable resources, SSI does not pay for that month. Because of the early payment on October 30, recipients should be careful with the money left over at the beginning of December. We explained this schedule in our article on the two SSI payments in October.
When the SSA discovers that the limit was exceeded, it can claim the money paid as an overpayment. The new amounts for 2027 are detailed in our report on SSI payments.
