supplemental security income document

Countable resources are things that a person owns that count toward the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) resource limit. If a person’s countable resources exceed the allowable limit at the start of a month, he or she will not receive SSI benefits for that month. There are several things that a person owns that are not considered countable resources.

Example of Resources

Resources include cash, stocks, bank accounts, U.S. savings bonds, vehicles, personal property, life insurance, and anything else that a person owns that he or she can turn into cash and use for shelter or food. Deemed resources are also considered countable resources.

Deemed Resources

Deemed resources are a portion of the resources of an SSI applicant’s parent, spouse, sponsor, or sponsor’s spouse that the Social Security Administration (SSA) considers to belong to the SSI applicant. For a child under the age of 18, amounts above his or her parents’ resource limit count as part of that child’s resource limit.

What Are the Resource Limits for SSI?

To receive SSI benefits, the value of countable resources should not exceed $2,000 for individuals or $3,000 for couples.

Selling Countable Resources

If a person is trying to sell countable resources like personal property and real property that are putting him or her above the SSI resource limit, he or she may be able to get conditional benefits while trying to sell those excess resources. The person has to sign an “Agreement to Sell Property” form and have the SSA accept the agreement before the conditional payments start.

After selling the property, the person has to pay back the benefits that he or she received during the period he or she was trying to sell it.

What Resources Do Not Count Toward the SSI Resource Limit?

For SSI, the resources that do not count include:

  • The house one lives in and the land the house is on
  • One vehicle that a person or a member of his or her household uses for transportation
  • Burial funds for a person and his or her spouse with a value of $1,500 each or less
  • Burial spaces for an applicant and his or her immediate family
  • Household goods
  • Engagement rings, wedding rings, and other personal effects

There are many other things that an applicant can own that may not be counted for SSI. Determining the countable resources that one has can be complicated, but it significantly affects eligibility for SSI benefits. In Chicago, a social security disability lawyer can assist in navigating through the application process.