Optional State Supplements for SSI in Each State Updated for 2020
Many people ask about how optional state supplements for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) vary from state to state. For most states, the most recent information available from the Social Security Administration (SSA) is this page and this page from 2011. SSA states that they have no plans to update that information, due to “diminishing resources and increasingly unreliable data.” I have gathered the most up-to-date information I can find here on this page. In some cases, SSA has more recent information available for a particular state, or I was able to get more recent information from a state agency; in other cases, the 2011 data from Social Security is all I could find. I would like readers to help me make updates and corrections by Leaving a Comment with up-to-date information from your state with a link to an official source. Thank you and I hope this page proves helpful.
The federal maximum benefit rate for SSI in 2020 is $783 per month for an eligible individual and $1,175 for an eligible couple. Some states provide an optional state supplement, which is an additional benefit added on to the federal maximum benefit. In many states this supplement is not available to everyone on SSI, but only to certain individuals, for example people residing in licensed long-term care facilities. The table below is intended to be a quick reference, and you can get more detailed information about your state by clicking the link(s) in the Sources column.
Some states administer the supplement themselves, so you may get a separate payment; in those cases the amount of the individual supplement (which would be paid in addition to the $783 from Social Security) is shown in the table below. In other states the supplement is administered by Social Security, so you may get a single monthly payment; in those cases the total payment from both sources (including the $783 from Social Security) is shown in the table. In some states, Social Security administers some categories of state supplement payments, while the state administers other categories of supplemental payments.
SSI Optional State Supplements
| State | Administration | Conditions | Amount | Sources | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Administered by state | Residing in specified living arrangements (including children), such as receiving independent home-life care. | Individual supplement ranges from $56 to $196 (2011 numbers). | SSA | 2011 |
| Alaska | Administered by state | "Provided to all needy aged, blind, and disabled persons" except children and those residing in certain public institutions. | Individual supplement for a person living independently (as of 2020): $362. Couple: $528 | SSA & Alaska DHS | 2020 |
| Arizona | None | n/a | None | SSA | 2020 |
| Arkansas | None | n/a | None | SSA | 2011 |
| California | Administered by SSA | No conditions beyond SSI eligibility. See source link for special situations. | Individual total: $943.72. Couple: $1,582.14 | SSA | 2020 |
| Colorado | Administered by state | "Provided to all SSI recipients, including children, residing in the specified living arrangements," including living independently. | Colorado provides two Aid to the Needy Disabled programs. The Aid to the Needy Disabled — State Only (AND-SO) program provides interim financial assistance, totaling $217, while the client pursues SSI benefits, while the Aid to the Needy Disabled — Colorado Supplement (AND-CS) program provides a supplemental payment to those who are receiving SSI, but not the full benefit. | SSA and Colorado DHS | 2020 |
| Connecticut | Administered by state | "Provided to all aged, blind, and disabled SSI or Title II recipients living alone or with others" except non-blind children. | Individual supplement: $39 in Medicaid facility, $168 in independent community living (2011 numbers). | SSA | 2011 |
| Delaware | SSA / State | “Optional state supplement provided to aged, blind, and disabled adults who are recipients, or would be except for income, and live in an approved adult residential care and assisted living facilities.” | Individual supplement: $140.00 | SSA | 2011 |
| District of Columbia | SSA / State | “The District of Columbia adds money only to the federal payment of people living in adult foster care homes or Medicaid facilities.” | Total combined payment depending on size of facility: Individual supplement: $1,423.00 - $1,533.00 Couple: $2,811 - $3,031 | SSA | 2020 |
| Florida | Administered by state | Otherwise eligible individuals who “reside in licensed assisted living facilities, adult family care homes, and mental health residential treatment facilities.” | Individual supplement: $78.40 | Florida AHCA & DCF | 2017 |
| Georgia | Administered by state | "All SSI recipients residing in nursing or hospice program in nursing home settings." | Individual supplement: $20 (2011 numbers). | SSA | 2011 |
| Hawaii | Administered by SSA | “The state of Hawaii pays optional state supplement funds only to those SSI recipients, including children, who are living in some form of foster or domiciliary care.” | Total combined payment depending on living situation: Individual supplement: $522 - $1,542.90 Couple: $783.34 - $3,031.80 | SSA | 2020 |
| Idaho | Administered by state | "All SSI recipients, including children, residing in the specified living arrangements." | Individual supplement for a person living independently (as of 2011): $53. See source link for special situations. | SSA | 2011 |
| Illinois | Administered by state | "All aged, blind, or disabled SSI recipients, including children, whose income maintenance needs, based on state standards, exceed their monthly SSI benefit plus other income." | Amount "based on state-approved allowances given for individual needs." Supplement typically averages around $70 with SSI. | SSA & Illinois DHS | 2020 |
| Indiana | Administered by state | "All adult Medicaid or SSI recipients who, because of age, blindness, or disability, are unable to reside in their own home and need care in a residential facility." No children. | Individual supplement varies from $22 to $827.06 (2011 numbers) depending on the facility. | SSA | 2011 |
| Iowa | SSA / State | "All aged, blind, and disabled persons residing in the specified living arrangements," including blind and disabled children under certain conditions. | Varies depending on living arrangements. See links. | SSA and Iowa DHS | 2011 and 2016 |
| Kansas | Administered by state | "Adults residing in Medicaid facilities receiving a reduced SSI payment." | Individual supplement: $32 (2011). | SSA | 2011 |
| Kentucky | Administered by state | People who need care in certain facilities or at home and cannot afford care. Children may be eligible for caretaker services in the home. | Individual supplement: $62 to $520 depending on facility (2011). | SSA | 2011 |
| Louisiana | Administered by state | "All aged, blind, and disabled persons, including children, who reside in a nonpsychiatric Medicaid long-term care facility." | Individual supplement: $8 (2011). | SSA | 2011 |
| Maine | Administered by state | "All aged, blind, and disabled SSI recipients, including children. In addition, a small number of persons not eligible for SSI are eligible for a state supplement." | Individual supplement from $8 to $234 depending on living situation (2011). | SSA | 2011 |
| Maryland | Administered by state | "All aged, blind, and disabled individuals living in a care home or in an assisted living facility and who are eligible for payments under the SSI program or who would be eligible except for income. Children are not eligible for optional supplementation." | Individual supplement from $52 to $666 depending on living situation (2011). | SSA | 2011 |
| Massachusetts | Administered by state | "Based on eligibility for SSI payments. In some cases, an individual may have income that is too high for an SSI payment but may still qualify for a payment from the state." | Individual supplement from $97 to $454.00 depending on living situation. Couples: $180.06 - $681.00 | Mass. Health & Human Services | 2020 |
| Michigan | Federal / State | "All SSI recipients, including children, except those residing in medical facilities not certified under Medicaid." | Individual supplement from $9.33 to $179.30 depending on living situation. Couples: $21.00 - $749.60 | SSA MDHHS | 2020 |
| Minnesota | Administered by state | "SSI recipients, including blind children under the age of 18 and disabled adult children, residing in the specified living arrangements." | Individual supplement from $67 to $112.66. See links. | SSA and db101.org | 2017 |
| Mississippi | None | n/a | None | SSA | 2020 |
| Missouri | Administered by state | Aged, blind or disabled adults residing in non-Medicaid licensed care facilities and cannot cover cost of care. | Individual supplement from $156 to $390 (2011) depending on living situation. | SSA and MO DSS | 2011 |
| Montana | Administered by SSA | People residing in certain living arrangements, such as assisted living facilities, group homes, foster care, etc. | Individual supplement from $26 to $94 (2011) depending on living situation. | SSA | 2011 |
| Nebraska | Administered by state | "All aged, blind, and disabled recipients who meet state guidelines, including children, except those in public institutions where Medicaid is not paying for the cost of care." | Individual supplement from $5 to $438 (2009) depending on living situation. | SSA | 2009 |
| Nevada | Administered by SSA | "All aged and blind recipients, including children, except those in medical institutions not licensed by Medicaid and those in medical institutions for whom Medicaid pays over 50 percent of the cost of their care. State does not provide assistance to disabled recipients unless they are part of an eligible couple where the other member is blind." | Total combined individual benefit from $546.27 to $1,174 (2020) depending on living situation. Couples: $832.98 - $2,056. | SSA 2020 and 2011 | 2020 |
| New Hampshire | Administered by state | "SSI recipients, including blind children under the age of 18 and disabled adult children, residing in the specified living arrangements." | Individual supplement from $13 to $25 (2011) depending on living situation. | SSA | 2011 |
| New Jersey | Administered by SSA | General supplement available to most SSI beneficiaries, higher amount available to people in licensed health care facilities | Individual total: $814.25. Couple: $1,200.36 | SSA | 2020 |
| New Mexico | Administered by state | "SSI recipients who reside in a licensed adult residential care home. Children under age 18 are not eligible for optional supplementation." | Individual supplement: $100 (2011). | SSA | 2011 |
| New York | Administered by SSA | "SSI recipients, including children, except those living in publicly operated residences having more than 16 residents, in publicly operated emergency shelters, or in medical facilities where Medicaid pays less than 50 percent of the cost of care." | Individual supplement depending on various living situations as an: $23 - $694. As a couple: $46 - $1,779. | New York OPWDD and 2011 | 2020 |
| North Carolina | Administered by state | "Aged, blind, and disabled adults living in adult care homes. Children who are legally blind may be eligible for optional supplementation." | Individual supplement: $554 (2011). | SSA | 2011 |
| North Dakota | None | n/a | None | SSA | 2020 |
| Ohio | Administered by state | Adults living in group homes, foster homes, residential care facilities, etc. | Individual supplement: $306 to $606 (2011) depending on living situation. | SSA | 2011 |
| Oklahoma | Administered by state | "All needy aged, blind, and disabled persons, including children, living in an independent living arrangement." | Individual supplement: $42 (2011). | SSA | 2011 |
| Oregon | Administered by state | "Some SSI recipients or to an individual who would be eligible for SSI except for income. Individuals meeting requirements for specific special need item receive supplementation." | "Based on state-approved allowances given for individual needs.." | SSA | 2011 |
| Pennsylvania | Federal / State | Eligible people living in domiciliary care or personal care boarding home. | Total combined benefit as an individual: $1,217.30 or $1,222.30 depending on living situation (2020). As a couple: $2,122.40 - $2,132.40. | SSA 2020 and 2011 | 2020 |
| Rhode Island | Federal / State | Eligible people living in certain assisted living and licensed care facilities. | Total combined benefit: $1,115 or $1,590 depending on living situation. | SSA 2017 and 2011 | 2020 |
| South Carolina | Administered by state | "SSI recipients and other low-income individuals who meet the state's net income exclusion and live in licensed community residential care facilities." | Individual supplement (2011): $483. | SSA | 2011 |
| South Dakota | Administered by state | "SSI recipients who live independently and have no other source of income and to those who live in assisted living facilities or in adult foster care homes and whose net income is below the supplementation levels. Blind and disabled children who meet the income and resource limitations and live in assisted living facilities or adult foster care homes are eligible for optional supplementation." | Individual supplement if living independently: $15; adult foster care: $388, assisted living: $765 (2011). | SSA | 2011 |
| Tennessee | None | n/a | None | SSA | 2011 |
| Texas | Administered by state | "People are eligible for Medicaid benefits as SSI cash recipients if they live in approved Medicaid long-term care facilities and their countable income does not fully meet the SSI standard payment amount." | Individual supplement: $30 - $60. | Texas DHHS | 2020 |
| Utah | Administered by SSA | "SSI recipients, including children, who are living alone or with others." | Individual living alone or with others: n/a; living in household of another: $3.13 (2011). | SSA | 2011 |
| Vermont | Administered by SSA | "All SSI-eligible aged, blind, and disabled individuals, including children." | Total monthly payments for an individual ranges from $831.38 - $1,006.94 depending on living situation. As a couple $1,271.77 - $1,737.06 | SSA 2020 and 2011 | 2020 |
| Virginia | Administered by state | "Every needy aged, blind, and disabled person who lives in an assisted living facility (domiciliary institution) or in an approved adult foster care home and who is eligible for SSI benefits or would be eligible except for excess income. Children under age 18 are not eligible for optional supplementation." | Individual supplement: $519 or $686 depending on living situation (2011). | SSA | 2011 |
| Washington | Administered by state | "Aged, blind, and disabled persons with developmental disabilities, including children and recipients with an ineligible spouse." | Individual supplement: $27.28 or $46, depending on living situation (2011). | SSA and state | 2011 |
| West Virginia | None | n/a | 0 | SSA | 2020 |
| Wisconsin | Administered by state | "Everyone who qualifies for a federal SSI payment of any amount automatically qualifies for the maximum state SSI payment." | Individual supplement from $83.78 to $179.77 depending on living situation. | Wisconsin DHS | 2019 |
| Wyoming | Administered by state | "All aged, blind, and disabled persons who receive SSI as the sole source of their income and live independently or in the household of another. Blind and disabled children may be eligible for supplementation." | Individual supplement: $25 if living independently, $27.80 if living in household of another (2011). | SSA | 2011 |
The information on this website does not constitute legal advice. Use of this website, including the contact form or comments form, does not establish an attorney-client relationship. In Florida, Brendan Conley practices Social Security disability law exclusively. Attorney charges no fee unless your case is successful; clients may be responsible for their own costs, such as medical costs. Copyright Brendan Conley 2013-2023. Colorado: 1400 16th St. Ste. 400, Denver, CO 80202. Phone: 720-213-5334. Fax: 720-513-9654. D.C./Virginia: 4250 Fairfax Dr. Ste. 600, Arlington, Virginia 22203. Phone: 703-485-4094. Fax: 703-343-9208. Florida: 7320 E. Fletcher Ave. Tampa, FL 33637. Phone: 813-444-2889. Fax: 813-492-2926.