Understanding Supplemental Security Income Reporting Responsibilities -- 2024 Edition

REPORTING RESPONSIBILITIES


WHAT THINGS MUST YOU REPORT TO SOCIAL SECURITY?

You must report any of the changes listed below to us, because they may affect your eligibility for supplemental security income (SSI) and your benefit amount:

    small blue and black arrowChange of address.

    small blue and black arrowChange in living arrangements.

    small blue and black arrowChange in earned and unearned income, including a change in wages or net earnings from self-employment, including your spouse’s income if you are married and living together, and parents’ income if applying for a child.

    small blue and black arrowChange in resources including your spouse’s resources, if you are married and living together, and parents’ resources if applying for a child.

    small blue and black arrowDeath of spouse or anyone in your household.

    small blue and black arrowChange in marital status (including any same-sex relationships).

    small blue and black arrowChange in citizenship or immigration status.

    small blue and black arrowChange in help with living expenses from friends or relatives.

    small blue and black arrowEligibility for other benefits or payments.

    small blue and black arrowAdmission to or discharge from an institution (such as a hospital, nursing home, or a correctional institution such as prison, jail, detention center, boot camp, etc,).

    small blue and black arrowChange in school attendance, if you are under age 22.

    small blue and black arrowChange in lawful noncitizen status.

    small blue and black arrowSponsor (or sponsor’s spouse) changes of income, resources, or living arrangement for noncitizens.

    small blue and black arrowLeaving the U.S. for a full calendar month or for 30  consecutive days or more; or

    small blue and black arrowan unsatisfied felony or arrest warrant for escape from custody, flight to avoid prosecution or confinement, or flight-escape.

WHAT MUST YOU ALSO REPORT IF YOU ARE A PERSON WITH A DISABILITY?

WHEN DO YOU NEED TO REPORT?

Report any changes that may affect your SSI as soon as possible and no later than 10 days after the end of the month in which the change occurred.

NOTEPlease see the Spotlight on Reporting Your Earnings to SSA.

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DO NOT REPORT CHANGES TIMELY AND ACCURATELY?

You may be underpaid and not receive the benefits due to you, as quickly as you otherwise could, if you do not report changes on time.

We may overpay you and you may have to pay us back.  We may apply a penalty that will reduce your SSI payment by $25 to $100 for each time you fail to report a change to us, or you report the change later than 10 days after the end of the month in which the change occurred.

If you knowingly make a false or misleading statement or knowingly fail to report important changes, we may impose a sanction against your payments.  The first sanction period is a withholding of payments for 6 months.  Subsequent sanction periods are for 12 months and then 24 months.

NOTE See the SSI Spotlight on Rights and Responsibilities.
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