Adults and children anywhere in the U.S. but especially in Knoxville, with disabilities who have not worked often rely on Supplemental Security Income to augment their daily living and medical expenses. SSI is meant to help low-income individuals who have not paid into the Social Security system through wage deductions. Therefore, if a person who receives SSI either lives with a spouse or parent who works, or works him or herself, he or she must report these wages to the Social Security Administration.
A person in such a situation needs to consistently inform the SSA of his or her wages within the first six days of each month. The purpose of wage reporting is to ensure the SSI recipient receives the right amount of benefits, that is, avoids receiving either underpayments or overpayments. The SSI program is based on a person’s financial needs and has income requirements, so in general the more income a recipient has, the lower his or her SSI benefits will be.
There are a number of ways a recipient could report his or her wages to the SSA. He or she could contact his or her local Social Security Office either in person, via telephone or by writing. There is also a SSI Mobile Wage Reporting Smartphone app available to recipients and a toll-free SSI Telephone Wage Reporting Service. A recipient could also sign up online in order to receive a reminder to report his or her wages each month either via a text message or email.
It is important for SSI recipients who earn wages or live with a spouse or parent who does to report these wages to the SSA. Doing so ensures that the recipient receives an appropriate amount of benefits. Those with questions about the SSI wage reporting requirement may wish to speak to a Social Security disability attorney.