SSI Report

Social Security has issued its Annual Statistical Report on the Supplemental Security Income program. Some highlights:

Size and Scope of the Supplemental Security Income Program

• About 7.7 million people received federally administered payments in December 2009.
• The average monthly payment in December 2009 was $499.
• Total payments for the year were more than $46 billion, including almost $4 billion in federally administered state supplementation.

Profile of Recipients

• The majority were female (55 percent).
• Sixteen percent were under age 18, 58 percent were aged 18 to 64, and 26 percent were aged 65 or older.
• Most (85 percent) were eligible on the basis of a disability.
• Six out of 10 recipients under age 65 were diagnosed with a mental disorder.
• More than half (57 percent) had no income other than their SSI payment.
• Thirty-four percent of SSI recipients also received Social Security benefits.
• Of the people receiving SSI benefits, about 2 percent were residing in a Title XIX institution where Medicaid was paying more than half of the cost.
• Despite their disabilities, about 340,000 recipients (5.2 percent) were working in December 2009.