SSI countable income calculator
Enter your monthly income, see how SSI counts it and what is paid.
Amounts are examples — use your own. For one person only. Food does not count; only shelter help does.
What is the SSI federal benefit rate in 2026?
$994 a month for an individual and $1,491 for a couple, according to the Social Security Administration. The rate rises each January with the cost-of-living adjustment, and many states add a supplement.
Which income does SSI not count?
The first $20 of most income a month, the first $65 of earnings plus half of the rest, food stamps (SNAP), income tax refunds, home energy assistance, state or local need-based assistance, small irregular amounts, loans you must repay, and money someone else spends on items other than food or shelter, among others.
Does help with food reduce SSI now?
No. Since September 30, 2024 food is no longer part of in-kind support and maintenance, so groceries and meals given to you do not reduce SSI. Cash or a gift card given to buy food is still counted as unearned income.
Does the one-third reduction still exist?
Yes, but only for shelter. If someone else pays your rent, mortgage, utilities or you live in another person’s home without paying your share, SSI is cut by the value of the help, capped at one-third of the federal rate plus $20 (the presumed maximum value), minus the $20 exclusion when it is not already used.
How much can I earn and still get SSI?
With no other income, the payment reaches zero at about $2,073 of monthly earnings: $994 × 2 + $65 + $20. The exact figure varies if you also have unearned income or shelter help.
What is the resource limit?
$2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple, counted on the first of the month. The home you live in, one vehicle, household goods, burial spaces and certain accounts such as an ABLE account (up to $100,000) do not count.
Does my Social Security benefit reduce SSI?
Yes, as unearned income. Social Security benefits are counted after the $20 exclusion: with a $300 benefit, $280 is counted and the SSI payment is $714 instead of the full $994.
What the number means
Supplemental Security Income pays a monthly benefit to older adults, blind people and people with disabilities who have little income and few resources. The payment is the federal benefit rate ($994 for one person in 2026) minus “countable income”. Much of what you receive is not counted, so countable income is usually smaller than your gross income. The calculator shows the countable income and the federal payment; it does not decide if you are eligible.
How countable income is figured
Unearned income (Social Security, pensions, cash gifts, interest) comes first. The first $20 of income a month is not counted, and it is applied to unearned income before earned. Earned income (wages, net self-employment) is then reduced by any unused part of the $20, then by $65, and the rest is counted at one-half. Help with shelter from someone else (rent, mortgage, utilities, or living rent-free) is added to unearned income, but at no more than the presumed maximum value of one-third of the federal rate plus $20, which is $351.33 in 2026. SSI = federal rate − countable unearned − countable earned, never below zero. This follows the examples in the SSA publication.
Worked examples from the SSA publication
A person with $300 of Social Security counts $280 of it, so SSI is $714.00. A person with $317 of wages counts ($317 − $20 − $65) ÷ 2 = $116.00, so SSI is $878.00. A person whose sibling pays an $800 rent has shelter help capped at $351.33, minus $20: SSI is $662.67. If the help is a $100 electric bill, $80 is counted and SSI is $914.00. A person with $300 of Social Security who lives in a house rent-free (value $900) has $631.33 counted, and SSI is $362.67. These amounts match the examples in the SSA’s Understanding SSI for 2026. Wages of $3,000 a month produce no SSI payment ($0.00).
Common mistakes
Counting food: since September 30, 2024, meals and groceries from others do not reduce SSI. Applying the $65 exclusion to unearned income: it is only for earnings. Forgetting that the $20 exclusion comes off unearned income first, so a person with Social Security who also works gets less benefit from the $20 than someone with only wages. Ignoring resources: even one dollar over $2,000 at the start of a month makes you ineligible for that month. And treating a rule change as retroactive: the food change applies from September 30, 2024.
Limits of this method
This is a quick check for a single person. It does not model couples (the exclusions and the one-third rule have their own steps), deemed income from a spouse or parent, the student earned income exclusion, impairment-related work expenses, a Plan to Achieve Self-Support, institutions, or a state supplement. Whether an item is income is for Social Security to decide: ask at an SSA office or call them with your numbers.
An estimate for planning only — not financial or legal advice; Social Security decides eligibility and your payment. Sources, checked October 28, 2026: SSA, Understanding SSI, 2026 edition: Income, Living Arrangements and Resources; SSA SSI Federal Payment Amounts (unrounded 2026 amounts). Related: Social Security calculator, federal poverty level calculator, Social Security tax calculator, spousal benefit calculator and retirement calculator. How we check our calculators.