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These Changes to Social Security Take Place September 3rd

The Social Security Administration makes changes every year in an effort to keep up with the changing times. They decide which changes are best then they choose a date to implement them. The latest round of changes takes place on September 3rd. We have put together this article explaining the changes.

Definition of Public Housing

Previously, every member of a household needed to be receiving public assistance for the housing to be defined as “public housing”. Under the new rules, only one member of the home needs to be receiving public assistance along with at least one other member receiving some sort of assistance. Furthermore, the household’s public assistance package will now include recognition for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley said in a statement: “By simplifying our policies and including an additional program targeted to low-income families, such as SNAP, we are removing significant barriers to accessing SSI. These changes promote greater fairness in our programs.”

These changes are expected to affect about 277,000 people with an estimated 109,000 people to now be eligible for benefits who weren’t before.

Changes to How Food Assistance is Calculated

Under the old rules, any form of food or housing assistance was counted as “unearned income”. Under the new rules, other food and/or housing assistance does not count towards income and does not affect your Social Security benefits.

Darcy Milburn, Director of Social Security and Health Policy at The Arc said “It’s a really meaningful step to address one of the most complex, burdensome and inhumane policies affecting people with disabilities who receive SSI.”

Rent Subsidy Policy is Expanded

In the past, SSI recipients who simultaneously got reduced rent or other forms of rental assistance were not penalized in terms of their eligibility for SSI or the amount of their monthly payments in states including Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, New York, Texas, Vermont, and Wisconsin. To make sure that rental assistance does not negatively impact SSI benefits across the nation, this regulation will now be implemented nationwide.