{
  "id": "RL33675",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "RL33675",
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  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
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      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 343219,
      "date": "2008-01-30",
      "retrieved": "2016-04-07T03:44:21.118788",
      "title": "Potential Effect of Marriage on Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Eligibility and Benefits",
      "summary": "Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a major benefit program for low-income persons with disabilities and senior citizens. As a means tested program, SSI places income and resource limits on individuals and married couples for the purposes of determining their eligibility and level of benefits. To become and remain eligible to receive SSI benefits, single individuals may not have countable resources valued at more than $2,000 and married couples may not have countable resources valued at more than $3,000. Although a person\u2019s home and car are excluded from these calculations, most other assets owned by a person or married couple are counted and in most cases, the assets of both partners in a marriage are considered shared and equally available to both the husband and the wife.\nA person\u2019s countable income must be below SSI program guidelines to qualify for benefits and a person\u2019s monthly benefit level is reduced by a portion of his or her earned and unearned income. The income of a person ineligible for SSI can be considered when calculating the benefit amount of that person\u2019s spouse. A complicated process of deeming is used to determine how much of the ineligible person\u2019s income is to be considered when calculating his or her spouse\u2019s monthly SSI benefits.\nIn some cases marriage may result in a person being denied SSI benefits or seeing his or her SSI benefit level reduced because of the increase in family income or assets that results from the marriage. This can occur if an SSI beneficiary marries another SSI beneficiary or a person not in the SSI program. This potential effect of marriage on the SSI eligibility and benefits of SSI beneficiaries has been called a \u201cmarriage penalty\u201d by the National Council on Disability.\nThis report provides an overview of the potential effect of a marriage to another SSI recipient or an ineligible person on an individual\u2019s eligibility for and level of SSI benefits. Examples of cases in which a marriage can reduce a person\u2019s SSI benefits are provided. This report will be updated to reflect any legislative changes.",
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    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc814411/",
      "id": "RL33675_2008Jan08",
      "date": "2008-01-08",
      "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26",
      "title": "Potential Effect of Marriage on Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Eligibility and Benefits",
      "summary": null,
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORT",
      "active": false,
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}