The regulations in this part 416 (Regulations No. 16 of the Social Security Administration) relate to the provisions of title XVI of the Social Security Act as amended by section 301 of Pub. L. 92-603 enacted October 30, 1972, and as may thereafter be amended. Title XVI (Supplemental Security Income For The Aged, Blind, and Disabled) of the Social Security Act, as amended, established a national program, effective January 1, 1974, for the purpose of providing supplemental security income to individuals who have attained age 65 or are blind or disabled. The regulations in this part are divided into the following subparts according to subject content:

(a) This subpart A contains this introduction, a statement of the general purpose underlying the supplemental security income program, general provisions applicable to the program and its administration, and definitions and use of terms occurring throughout this part.

(b) Subpart B of this part covers in general the eligibility requirements which must be met for benefits under the supplemental security income program. It sets forth the requirements regarding residence, citizenship, age, disability, or blindness, and describes the conditions which bar eligibility and generally points up other conditions of eligibility taken up in greater detail elsewhere in the regulations (e.g., limitations on income and resources, receipt of support and maintenance, etc.).

(c) Subpart C of this part sets forth the rules with respect to the filing of applications, requests for withdrawal of applications, cancellation of withdrawal requests and other similar requests.

(d) Subpart D of this part sets forth the rules for computing the amount of benefits payable to an eligible individual and eligible spouse.

(e) Subpart E of this part covers provisions with respect to periodic payment of benefits, joint payments, payment of emergency cash advances, payment of benefits prior to a determination of disability, prohibition against transfer or assignment of benefits, adjustment and waiver of overpayments, and payment of underpayments.

(f) Subpart F of this part contains provisions with respect to the selection of representative payees to receive benefits on behalf of and for the use of recipients and to the duties and responsibilities of representative payees.

(g) Subpart G of this part sets forth rules with respect to the reporting of events and circumstances affecting eligibility or the amount of benefits payable.

(h) Subpart H of this part sets forth rules and guidelines for the submittal and evaluation of evidence of age where age is pertinent to establishing eligibility or the amount of benefits payable.

(i) Subpart I of this part sets forth the rules for establishing disability or blindness where the establishment of disability or blindness is pertinent to eligibility.

(j) Subpart J of this part sets forth the standards, requirements and procedures for States making determinations of disability for the Commissioner. It also sets out the Commissioner's responsibilities in carrying out the disability determination function.

(k) Subpart K of this part defines income, earned income, and unearned income and sets forth the statutory exclusions applicable to earned and unearned income for the purpose of establishing eligibility for and the amount of benefits payable.

(l) Subpart L of this part defines the term resources and sets forth the statutory exclusions applicable to resources for the purpose of determining eligibility.

(m) Subpart M of this part deals with events or circumstances requiring suspension or termination of benefits.

(n) Subpart N of this part contains provisions with respect to procedures for making determinations with respect to eligibility, amount of benefits, representative payment, etc., notices of determinations, rights of appeal and procedures applicable thereto, and other procedural due process provisions.

(o) Subpart O of this part contains provisions applicable to attorneys and other individuals who represent applicants in connection with claims for benefits.

(p) Subpart P of this part sets forth the residence and citizenship requirements that are pertinent to eligibility.

(q) Subpart Q of this part contains provisions with respect to the referral of individuals for vocational rehabilitation, treatment for alcoholism and drug addiction, and application for other benefits to which an applicant may be potentially entitled.

(r) Subpart R of this part sets forth the rules for determining marital and other family relationships where pertinent to the establishment of eligibility for or the amount of benefits payable.

(s) Subpart S of this part explains interim assistance and how benefits may be withheld to repay such assistance given by the State.

(t) Subpart T of this part contains provisions with respect to the supplementation of Federal supplemental security income payments by States, agreements for Federal administration of State supplementation programs, and payment of State supplementary payments.

(u) Subpart U of this part contains provisions with respect to agreements with States for Federal determination of Medicaid eligibility of applicants for supplemental security income.

(v) Subpart V of this part explains when payments are made to State vocational rehabilitation agencies for vocational rehabilitation services.

[39 FR 28625, Aug. 9, 1974, as amended at 51 FR 11718, Apr. 7, 1986; 62 FR 38454, July 18, 1997; 83 FR 62459, Dec. 4, 2018]

The Supplemental Security Income for the Aged, Blind, and Disabled program is administered by the Social Security Administration.

[51 FR 11718, Apr. 7, 1986, as amended at 62 FR 38454, July 18, 1997]

The basic purpose underlying the supplemental security income program is to assure a minimum level of income for people who are age 65 or over, or who are blind or disabled and who do not have sufficient income and resources to maintain a standard of living at the established Federal minimum income level. The supplemental security income program replaces the financial assistance programs for the aged, blind, and disabled in the 50 States and the District of Columbia for which grants were made under the Social Security Act. Payments are financed from the general funds of the United States Treasury. Several basic principles underlie the program:

(a) Objective tests. The law provides that payments are to be made to aged, blind, and disabled people who have income and resources below specified amounts. This provides objective measurable standards for determining each person's benefits.

(b) Legal right to payments. A person's rights to supplemental security income payments—how much he gets and under what conditions—are clearly defined in the law. The area of administrative discretion is thus limited. If an applicant disagrees with the decision on his claim, he can obtain an administrative review of the decision and if still not satisfied, he may initiate court action.

(c) Protection of personal dignity. Under the Federal program, payments are made under conditions that are as protective of people's dignity as possible. No restrictions, implied or otherwise, are placed on how recipients spend the Federal payments.

(d) Nationwide uniformity of standards. The eligibility requirements and the Federal minimum income level are identical throughout the 50 States and the District of Columbia. This provides assurance of a minimum income base on which States may build supplementary payments.

(e) Incentives to work and opportunities for rehabilitation. Payment amounts are not reduced dollar-for-dollar for work income but some of an applicant's income is counted toward the eligibility limit. Thus, recipients are encouraged to work if they can. Blind and disabled recipients with vocational rehabilitation potential are referred to the appropriate State vocational rehabilitation agencies that offer rehabilitation services to enable them to enter the labor market.

(f) State supplementation and Medicaid determinations. (1) Federal supplemental security income payments lessen the variations in levels of assistance and provide a basic level of assistance throughout the nation. States are required to provide mandatory minimum State supplementary payments beginning January 1, 1974, to aged, blind, or disabled recipients of assistance for the month of December 1973 under such State's plan approved under title I, X, XIV, or XVI of the Act in order for the State to be eligible to receive title XIX funds (see subpart T of this part). These payments must be in an amount sufficient to ensure that individuals who are converted to the new program will not have their income reduced below what it was under the State program for December 1973. In addition, each State may choose to provide more than the Federal supplemental security income and/or mandatory minimum State supplementary payment to whatever extent it finds appropriate in view of the needs and resources of its citizens or it may choose to provide no more than the mandatory minimum payment where applicable. States which provide State supplementary payments can enter into agreements for Federal administration of the mandatory and optional State supplementary payments with the Federal Government paying the administrative costs. A State which elects Federal administration of its supplementation program must apply the same eligibility criteria (other than those pertaining to income) applied to determine eligibility for the Federal portion of the supplemental security income payment, except as provided in sec. 1616(c) of the Act (see subpart T of this part). There is a limitation on the amount payable to the Commissioner by a State for the amount of the supplementary payments made on its behalf for any fiscal year pursuant to the State's agreement with the Secretary. Such limitation on the amount of reimbursement is related to the State's payment levels for January 1972 and its total expenditures for calendar year 1972 for aid and assistance under the appropriate State plan(s) (see subpart T of this part).

(2) States with Medicaid eligibility requirements for the aged, blind, and disabled that are identical (except as permitted by § 416.2111) to the supplemental security income eligibility requirements may elect to have the Social Security Administration determine Medicaid eligibility under the State's program for recipients of supplemental security income and recipients of a federally administered State supplementary payment. The State would pay half of Social Security Administration's incremental administrative costs arising from carrying out the agreement.

[39 FR 28625, Aug. 9, 1974, as amended at 53 FR 12941, Apr. 20, 1988; 62 FR 38454, July 18, 1997]

(a) Terms relating to acts and regulations. As used in this part:

(1) The Act means the Social Security Act as amended (42 U.S.C. Chap. 7).

(2) Wherever a title is referred to, it means such title of the Act.

(3) Vocational Rehabilitation Act means the act approved June 2, 1920 (41 Stat. 735), 29 U.S.C. 31-42, as amended, and as may be amended from time to time hereafter.

(b) Commissioner; Appeals Council; Administrative Law Judge; Administrative Appeals Judge defined—(1) Commissioner means the Commissioner of Social Security.

(2) Appeals Council means the Appeals Council of the Office of Analytics, Review, and Oversight in the Social Security Administration or such member or members thereof as may be designated by the Chair of the Appeals Council.

(3) Administrative Law Judge means an Administrative Law Judge in the Office of Hearings Operations in the Social Security Administration.

(4) Administrative Appeals Judge means an Administrative Appeals Judge serving as a member of the Appeals Council.

(c) Miscellaneous. As used in this part unless otherwise indicated:

(1) Supplemental security income benefit means the amount to be paid to an eligible individual (or eligible individual and his eligible spouse) under title XVI of the Act.

(2) Income means the receipt by an individual of any property or service which he can apply, either directly or by sale or conversion, to meeting his basic needs (see subpart K of this part).

(3) Resources means cash or other liquid assets or any real or personal property that an individual owns and could convert to cash to be used for support and maintenance (see § 416.1201(a)).

(4) Attainment of age. An individual attains a given age on the first moment of the day preceding the anniversary of his birth corresponding to such age.

(5) Couple means an eligible individual and his eligible spouse.

(6) Institution (see § 416.201).

(7) Public institution (see § 416.201).

(8) Resident of a public institution (see § 416.201).

(9) State, unless otherwise indicated, means a State of the United States, the District of Columbia, or effective January 9, 1978, the Northern Mariana Islands.

(10) The term United States when used in a geographical sense means the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and effective January 9, 1978, the Northern Mariana Islands.

(11) Masculine gender includes the feminine, unless otherwise indicated.

(12) Section means a section of the regulations in part 416 of this chapter unless the context indicates otherwise.

(13) Eligible individual means an aged, blind, or disabled individual who meets all the requirements for eligibility for benefits under the supplemental security income program.

(14) Eligible spouse means an aged, blind, or disabled individual who is the husband or wife of another aged, blind, or disabled individual and who is living with that individual (see § 416.1801(c)).

(d) Periods of limitation ending on nonwork days. Pursuant to the Act, where any provision of title XVI, or any provision of another law of the United States (other than the Internal Revenue Code of 1954) relating to or changing the effect of title XVI, or any regulation of the Commissioner issued under title XVI, provides for a period within which an act is required to be done which affects eligibility for or the amount of any benefit or payment under title XVI or is necessary to establish or protect any rights under title XVI and such period ends on a Saturday, Sunday, or Federal legal holiday or on any other day all or part of which is declared to be a nonworkday for Federal employees by statute or Executive Order, then such act shall be considered as done within such period if it is done on the first day thereafter which is not a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday or any other day all or part of which is declared to be a nonworkday for Federal employees either by statute or Executive Order. For purposes of this paragraph, the day on which a period ends shall include the final day of any extended period where such extension is authorized by law or by the Commissioner pursuant to law. Such extension of any period of limitation does not apply to periods during which an application for benefits or payments may be accepted as such an application pursuant to subpart C of this part.

[39 FR 28625, Aug. 9, 1974, as amended at 43 FR 25091, June 9, 1978; 51 FR 11719, Apr. 7, 1986; 60 FR 16374, Mar. 30, 1995; 62 FR 38454, July 18, 1997; 85 FR 73159, Nov. 16, 2020]

(a) Recipient of aid or assistance defined. As used in this part 416, the term individual who was a recipient of aid or assistance for December 1973 under a State plan approved under title I, X, XIV, or XVI of the Social Security Act means an individual who correctly received aid or assistance under such plan for December 1973 even though such aid or assistance may have been received subsequent to December 1973. It also includes an individual who filed an application prior to January 1974 and was otherwise eligible for aid or assistance for December 1973 under the provisions of such State plan but did not in fact receive such aid or assistance. It does not include an individual who received aid or assistance because of the provisions of 45 CFR 205.10(a) (pertaining to continuation of assistance until a fair hearing decision is rendered), as in effect in December 1973, and with respect to whom it is subsequently determined that such aid or assistance would not have been received without application of the provisions of such 45 CFR 205.10(a).

(b) Aid or assistance defined. As used in this part 416, the term aid or assistance means aid or assistance as defined in titles I, X, XIV, and XVI of the Social Security Act, as in effect in December 1973, and such aid or assistance is eligible for Federal financial participation in accordance with those titles and the provisions of 45 CFR chapter II as in effect in December 1973.

(c) Determinations of receipt of aid or assistance for December 1973. For the purpose of application of the provisions of this part 416, the determination as to whether an individual was a recipient of aid or assistance for December 1973 under a State plan approved under title I, X, XIV, or XVI of the Social Security Act will be made by the Social Security Administration. In making such determination, the Social Security Administration may take into consideration a prior determination by the appropriate State agency as to whether the individual was eligible for aid or assistance for December 1973 under such State plan. Such prior determination, however, shall not be considered as conclusive in determining whether an individual was a recipient of aid or assistance for December 1973 under a State plan approved under title I, X, XIV, or XVI of the Social Security Act for purposes of application of the provisions of this part 416.

(d) Special provision for disabled recipients. For purposes of § 416.907, the criteria and definitions enumerated in paragraphs (a) through (c) of this section are applicable in determining whether an individual was a recipient of aid or assistance (on the basis of disability) under a State plan approved under title XIV or XVI of the Act for a month prior to July 1973. It is not necessary that the aid or assistance for December 1973 and for a month prior to July 1973 have been paid under the State plan of the same State.

[39 FR 32024, Sept. 4, 1974; 39 FR 33207, Sept. 16, 1974, as amended at 51 FR 11719, Apr. 7, 1986]