SSI Benefit Calculation

• The amount of your SSI benefits depends on your total household income. If you live with a spouse who does not qualify for SSI, officials may consider a portion of his income as part of yours. Called "deemed income," this spousal contribution may cause a reduction in monthly payments not only to you, but also to a foster child who is eligible for SSI. However, deemed income does not apply to the benefit calculation for a child who is 18 or older.
  
  

Income Limits

• A disabled or blind foster child may qualify for SSI as long as your total household income, including deemed income but excluding foster care funds, does not exceed the limits set each year by the Social Security Administration. For example, a two-parent household with no other SSI-eligible children may have up to $3,495 in earned income or $1,725 in unearned income, at the time of publication. Earned income includes wages from a job, earnings from your own business or payments from a sheltered workshop. Unearned income comes from sources like pensions, investments, cash donations or unemployment insurance.
  
  

Deemed Income Exceptions

• Under certain circumstances, the deemed income calculations do not apply. This includes when one or both parents receive both earned and unearned income; when one or both parents receive a state supplement to their federal SSI benefit, and/or needs-based income supplements from certain other government agencies; when a parent is responsible for court-ordered child support payments; when the child has an independent source of income; and when your household has more than one disabled child applying for or receiving SSI.
  
  

Additional Eligibility Criteria

• Whether or not you are a foster parent, you may qualify for SSI only if you are blind, over 65, and/or have a serious, long-term disability that makes you unable to work. Also, your monthly household income may not exceed $674 for an individual or $1,011 for a couple, at the time of publication. A blind or disabled foster child may become eligible for SSI at birth, and remain eligible until the age of 18. For older ages, the child's impairment requires re-evaluation tto determine whether it meets SSI standards for adult disability.