rich 1.0 Action Network https://actionnetwork.org <link href='https://actionnetwork.org/css/style-embed-v3.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' /><script src='https://actionnetwork.org/widgets/v6/letter/tell-congress-pass-the-ssi-savings-penalty-elimination-act?format=js&source=widget'></script><div id='can-letter-area-tell-congress-pass-the-ssi-savings-penalty-elimination-act' style='width: 100%'><!-- this div is the target for our HTML insertion --></div> Progressive Reform Network https://actionnetwork.org/groups/progressive-reform-network https://can2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/groups/default_facebook_images/000/180/516/original/AdobeStock_207467053.jpeg?1676060602 Supplemental Security Income, known simply as SSI, is a disability program created to support low-income seniors and people with disabilities. It is a means tested program in which individual recipients won’t qualify if they have assets that exceed $2,000 in value, $3,000 for a couple. This means that SSI recipients can’t have much of anything in retirement accounts, whole life insurance policies, investments, and certain types of personal property to be eligible for the benefit, which keeps them in a life of poverty. It also means that the beneficiary’s entire family is subject to asset limits, forcing them to make impossible decisions to keep what little financial security they have. Nobody on SSI is getting rich. Beneficiaries struggle to get by on a maximum benefit of $914 a month, which is far below the poverty line. If people can’t save money, they don’t have a safety net for an emergency. That means they could be one broken wheelchair, one computer virus, or one crisis away from losing what little security they have. The limits on assets for SSI beneficiaries are truly unfair to families. They often prevent family members from seeking promotions, accepting new jobs, or saving money for fear that their loved one will lose their benefits. The workforce is also impacted by the draconian asset limit. It keeps qualified workers out of the job market for fear of losing access to benefits or health insurance. In September, the bipartisan SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act (S.2767/H.R. 5408) was introduced in the Senate, which would increase the asset limit from $2,000 to $10,000 for an individual and $3,000 to $20,000 for a couple, and it would exclude retirement savings from the countable assets. This legislation is supported by six out of ten Americans as well as major business and religious groups. The momentum for this game changer is there. It’s time for action! Tell Congress to pass the SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act and help SSI beneficiaries get out of poverty! https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-congress-pass-the-ssi-savings-penalty-elimination-act