Millions of Americans can expect a pair of checks totaling as much as $2,700 from the Social Security Administration in December — a welcome windfall in the middle of a holiday season that’s expected to get pricier than ever.
There’s a catch, however: To receive the payments, American citizens must qualify for Supplement Security Income (SSI) benefits.
Eligible recipients will receive two checks, on Dec. 1 and Dec. 29.
Individuals will receive two $914 checks, totaling $1,828, while married couples will receive two installments of $1,371, totaling $2,742.
For married couples to receive the financial assistance, which was earlier reported on by the Daily Mail, both spouses must qualify to receive SSI benefits.
In total, the federal agency is expecting to cut checks for some 67 million Americans.
Per the SSA’s website, these two checks are designed to be distributed to people with little to no income, “who don’t earn more than $1,913 from work each month.”
The agency says it also takes into account other sources of income, including disability benefits, unemployment and pensions, and notable circumstances, such as if an adult is a single parent or if there’s a child with a disability in the home.
SSI is also given to Americans who have few resources, such as money in bank accounts or assets like a home or vehicle, that are worth no more than $2,000 for individuals or $3,000 for couples.
Americans aged 65-plus are also eligible for SSI, whether they have a disability or not.
Meanwhile, applicants 64 and under with a disability must meet a host of requirements in order to receive assistance.
Per the SSA’s guidelines, 64-year-old-or-youger applicants with a disability must either be blind or have a condition that affects their ability to work for a year or more, severely limits daily activities, or results in death.
For those who meet these disability requirements, they must also prove that their earnings totaled less than $1,470 from work per month.
The SSA noted that it’s limited to providing individuals and children with a maximum of $2,000, while a couple can only receive a maximum of $3,000 via mail or direct deposit.
People receiving the SSI payout through direct deposit can expect it to be available on the exact dates — Dec. 1 and Dec. 29, the SSA said.
Those receiving the installments by mail, however, are asked to be patient for three days.
If they don’t see the first and second checks in their mailbox by Dec. 6 and Jan. 3, respectively, the SSA advises to contact the administration.
Parents applying for their children will get an extra $2,000 added to their total resource limit costs.
The only way for an American who believes they meet these requirements to find out they’re eligible for SSI is to apply — a five-step process that the SSA says can take anywhere from three to five months to get a decision.
In fact, even select non-citizens can receive the December assistance as long as they meet the requirements to be a “qualified alien,” which includes having been granted asylum or admitted into the US as a refugee per the Immigration and Nationality Act, among a slew of other qualifications.
I called ssa and they didn’t know anything about this. SCAM????????