The federal SSI benefit amount is the maximum the federal Supplemental Security Income program pays per month, before any state supplement and before income-based reductions. Three figures are published each year:
- Eligible individual: $994 per month for 2026.
- Eligible couple: $1,491 per month, when both spouses qualify for SSI.
- Essential person: $498 per month, when a non-recipient lives with and provides care to a recipient (a small grandfathered category from earlier program rules).
The amounts update each January by the same percentage as the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment. The 2026 COLA was 2.8%, which is why the individual amount rose by $27 from the 2025 figure of $967.
2026 individual
$994
Up $27 from 2025
2026 couple
$1,491
Both spouses qualify for SSI
2026 essential person
$498
Non-recipient who provides care
Indexed to
COLA
Same percentage as Social Security retirement
Federal SSI maximum by year, 1975 to 2026
For 1976 through 1983 the amounts shown took effect in July of the stated year. From 1984 onward they take effect in January, the same as the Social Security retirement COLA.
| Year | COLA | Eligible individual | Eligible couple |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 8.0% | $158 | $237 |
| 1976 | 6.4% | $168 | $252 |
| 1977 | 5.9% | $178 | $267 |
| 1978 | 6.5% | $189 | $284 |
| 1979 | 9.9% | $208 | $312 |
| 1980 | 14.3% | $238 | $357 |
| 1981 | 11.2% | $265 | $397 |
| 1982 | 7.4% | $284 | $426 |
| 1983 | 7.0% | $304 | $456 |
| 1984 | 3.5% | $314 | $472 |
| 1985 | 3.5% | $325 | $488 |
| 1986 | 3.1% | $336 | $504 |
| 1987 | 1.3% | $340 | $510 |
| 1988 | 4.2% | $354 | $532 |
| 1989 | 4.0% | $368 | $553 |
| 1990 | 4.7% | $386 | $579 |
| 1991 | 5.4% | $407 | $610 |
| 1992 | 3.7% | $422 | $633 |
| 1993 | 3.0% | $434 | $652 |
| 1994 | 2.6% | $446 | $669 |
| 1995 | 2.8% | $458 | $687 |
| 1996 | 2.6% | $470 | $705 |
| 1997 | 2.9% | $484 | $726 |
| 1998 | 2.1% | $494 | $741 |
| 1999 | 1.3% | $500 | $751 |
| 2000 | 2.5% | $513 | $769 |
| 2001 | 3.5% | $531 | $796 |
| 2002 | 2.6% | $545 | $817 |
| 2003 | 1.4% | $552 | $829 |
| 2004 | 2.1% | $564 | $846 |
| 2005 | 2.7% | $579 | $869 |
| 2006 | 4.1% | $603 | $904 |
| 2007 | 3.3% | $623 | $934 |
| 2008 | 2.3% | $637 | $956 |
| 2009 | 5.8% | $674 | $1,011 |
| 2010 | 0.0% | $674 | $1,011 |
| 2011 | 0.0% | $674 | $1,011 |
| 2012 | 3.6% | $698 | $1,048 |
| 2013 | 1.7% | $710 | $1,066 |
| 2014 | 1.5% | $721 | $1,082 |
| 2015 | 1.7% | $733 | $1,100 |
| 2016 | 0.0% | $733 | $1,100 |
| 2017 | 0.3% | $735 | $1,103 |
| 2018 | 2.0% | $750 | $1,125 |
| 2019 | 2.8% | $771 | $1,157 |
| 2020 | 1.6% | $783 | $1,175 |
| 2021 | 1.3% | $794 | $1,191 |
| 2022 | 5.9% | $841 | $1,261 |
| 2023 | 8.7% | $914 | $1,371 |
| 2024 | 3.2% | $943 | $1,415 |
| 2025 | 2.5% | $967 | $1,450 |
| 2026 | 2.8% | $994 | $1,491 |
Source: SSA Office of the Chief Actuary, SSI Monthly Payment Amounts.
How SSA calculates an actual SSI check
The federal maximum on this page is the starting point. SSA then reduces the payment based on countable income and living arrangement. The key reductions:
- Earned income. The first $65 per month is excluded (plus the $20 general exclusion). After that, $1 of SSI is reduced for every $2 of earnings.
- Unearned income. The first $20 per month is excluded. Every dollar above that reduces SSI dollar for dollar (one to one).
- In-kind support and maintenance. If someone provides you with free food or shelter (a parent, sibling, friend), SSA can reduce the federal benefit by up to one-third (the "value of one-third reduction" rule).
- Living arrangement. If you live in a medical institution where Medicaid pays more than half the cost of care, the federal SSI is capped at $30 per month.
For most recipients, those reductions mean the actual check is below the maximum. State supplements can add back some or all of the difference, depending on which state you live in.
State supplements added on top of the federal amount
Most states pay a state supplement to SSI recipients. Some are administered by SSA and arrive as part of the same monthly check; others are mailed separately by the state. Supplement amounts vary by state and by living arrangement. California, New York, and Massachusetts pay relatively large supplements; states like Mississippi pay nothing on top of the federal amount.
The figures on this page are the federal maximum only. To see what someone actually receives in your state, contact your local Social Security office or your state's social services department. SSA's national 1-800 line can also confirm whether your state's supplement is administered federally.
SSI federal benefit amount FAQ
The questions that come up most often about the federal SSI maximum.