SSI: The Details: Your Responsibilities

Report Changes

If your situation changes, your Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits may change. That’s why you need to report changes in your situation immediately. The Social Security Administration (SSA) also checks every year or two to see if your situation has changed.

Note: If you do not report changes, you might have to pay back the SSI benefits you get to Social Security.

Changes in Your Situation and Your SSI Benefits

How much you get in SSI benefits depends on your:

• Earned income
• Unearned income
• Resources, and
• Living arrangements.

If any of these things change, even slightly, you must:

1. Report the change to Social Security. For SSI, report changes from one month within the first 6 days of the following month to avoid an overpayment. Example: If you move in June, you need to tell Social Security by July 6.
2. Report the change to your local county Board of Social Services within 10 days of when the change takes place. Example: If you start a job on March 12, you need to tell the county by March 22.

Tip: Some people report their earned income every month, even when the amount doesn’t change. You can sign up to get a reminder text or email each month, so that you won't forget to report.

Social Security Reviews

Social Security does two different types of reviews to make sure you still qualify for SSI benefits and that you’re getting the right benefit amount:

• A redetermination means Social Security looks at your income, resources, living arrangements, and if you're married. A redetermination can be in person, by phone, or by mail. You may need to give proof of your situation. Social Security may do a redetermination every 1 – 6 years.
  • During a redetermination, Social Security does not ask about your medical condition.
• A medical Continuing Disability Review (CDR) means Social Security looks at your medical condition to make sure you still have a disability. You may need to give them medical records or other information. Social Security may do a medical CDR every 1.5 – 7 years.
  • If you've been getting SSI benefits for two years or more, Social Security won't do a medical CDR just because you work.
  • For as long as you get services from the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (DVRS) or an Employment Network (EN) and are making timely progress in the Ticket to Work Program, Social Security won't do a medical CDR.

Respond right away and do what Social Security asks you to do, otherwise your SSI payments could stop. If you have trouble filling out a form or getting documentation, ask for help at your local Social Security office.

Overpayments

If Social Security decides they paid you more than they should have, they send you a letter telling you they’ve made an overpayment and explaining how much money you must pay back.

Deal with an overpayment notice right away. The overpayment letter asks for the money to be returned within 30 days, but Social Security will work out a monthly payment plan with you if you ask. Contact Social Security right away to talk about your options.

A common reason people get overpayments is that they didn’t report changes in their earnings, unearned income, living situation, or marital status. You could also be overpaid if you keep getting SSI benefits after your resources go over the SSI resource limit or when you don’t have a disability anymore. If you do not report changes, then the overpayment is your fault and you have to pay the money back.

If you think an overpayment wasn’t your fault and you can’t pay it back because you need the money to pay for living expenses, you can ask for a waiver of the overpayment. If Social Security gives you a waiver, you don’t have to repay the overpayment. To get the waiver request form, call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 or 1-800-325-0778 (TTY) and ask for Form SSA-632.