Supplemental Security Income is one of the latest programs staring down the axe of a Republican-controlled Congress.
SSI benefits are an income supplement for people who are elderly, blind or disabled and who have little to no income. There are nearly 5 million SSI recipients as of 2025. About 1 million of them are over the age of 65, and nearly 4 million are under 65 and disabled. About 2.5 million are also Social Security beneficiaries.
In comparison, there are about 66 million Social Security beneficiaries as of 2025.
Scaling back SSI benefits could reduce an already-struggling household’s monthly income by hundreds of dollars.
The following changes to SSI benefits haven’t been implemented yet, but Republicans in Congress are considering them, according to an informal document Politico acquired.
Verify the eligibility of all applicants
Estimated effect of this proposal on the federal government: Unknown
Typically, you must have few financial resources and make less than $2,019 from work each month to qualify for SSI benefits.
SSI applicants and recipients are required to report their financial resources and income to the federal government so it can confirm they qualify for benefits. But under current law, the government does not verify the financial accounts of people who claim to have less than $400 in resources.
Based on a recent internal audit, the $400 threshold led to an estimated 198,000 people whose SSI eligibility was reviewed in 2022 receiving $718 million in SSI benefits for which they were not actually eligible.
This proposal by Republicans in Congress would require validation of the financial accounts of all SSI applicants and recipients.
Require school attendance for minors
Estimated effect of this proposal on the federal government: Savings of $640 million over 10 years
Minors are eligible for SSI if they are disabled and their household has limited resources. However, school attendance has not been a requirement — and that would change under this proposal.
Federal laws are limited when it comes to education, but the number of years children are required to attend school ranges from 9 to 13 years, depending on the state in which they live.
Pay benefits based on a sliding scale
Estimated effect of this proposal on the federal government: Savings of $5 billion over 10 years
SSI payments aren’t currently determined by a sliding scale, unlike other assistance programs. As of 2025, the maximum monthly SSI payment is $967 for an individual and $1,450 for a couple.
For every $2 a beneficiary earns from work (whether that be a job, self-employment or any other activity), their payment is reduced by about $1. For every dollar earned from a non-work resource (disability or unemployment payments, pensions, etc.), SSI payments are reduced by about $1.
The sliding scale system proposed in the unofficial document would be determined by multiplying the SSI federal payment rate by the number of child recipients in the family and raised to the power of 0.7.
Deny benefits to people with felony arrest warrants
Estimated effect of this proposal on the federal government: Savings of $3 billion over 10 years
Current federal law prohibits those “fleeing to avoid prosecution” from receiving SSI benefits. The Republicans’ proposal would change the language to cover those who are “the subject of an arrest warrant.”
The proposal states that this change would also help law enforcement officials looking for criminals allegedly evading the law.
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