SSI

A federal income maintenance program administered by the Social Security Administration that provides basic financial assistance in the form of monthly checks for people who are age 65 and older, blind or have a disability and who have little or no income and resources. Some states supplement SSI checks for certain categories of recipients. If the state's supplemental payment is federally administered, individuals are automatically assessed for SSP eligibility when they apply for SSI and the supplemental payment is included in their SSI check. If a state administers its own supplemental payments, individuals must apply separately at the state agency.