Policy Brief: SB 2767 and HR 5408
by Executive Director Jill King
Federal bills have been proposed in the House of Representatives and the Senate to update income limits for disabled people on Social Security Income (SSI). The existing cap of $2,250 for couples and $1,500 for individuals has been in place since the 1980s, leaving decades of disabled people in cyclical poverty.
A report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (report linked here) states that "More than two-thirds of SSI beneficiaries have no savings at all, and about 92 percent have less than $500 in savings, according to our analysis. Few people with incomes low enough to qualify for SSI have many resources, because they have little margin for saving, research shows."
The current income cap does not account for extra costs incurred by the disabled population, which I refer to as the disability tax. These are out-of-pocket expenses related to disability, which can vary widely. The National Disability Institute has a report discussing disability tax, The Extra Costs Of Living with a Disability in the US. — Resetting the Policy Table (report linked here).
SSI benefits are commonly connected to healthcare through Medicaid, which has led to many having to make sacrifices to continue having access to healthcare. This can mean turning down gainful employment or not being able to get married without losing healthcare access. Earlier this year, disabled advocates held a mass commitment ceremony at the National Mall to bring attention to this glaring gap in disabled civil rights (19th News article linked here).
The SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act would change the cap for couples and individuals to $20,000 and $10,000 respectively. The bill would also include annual adjustments for inflation.
This expansion would allow disabled people on SSI to save for their futures and acquire economic stability in a way they have not been able to before. This bill is a monumental step forward for disabled civil rights economically.
Call to Action! Contact your Representatives Today!
Contacting your representatives is one of many critical ways of making your voice heard - staff members are in every congressional office to hear the calls and read the emails of constituents. It's their job to take the information that comes in when constituents reach out and report it to the member of Congress they work for, who can use that information to inform their choices as your representative.
With collective power, and by reaching out as a community to show our widespread support for this legislation, we can show Congress that the need for this change is clear. With the SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act not yet out of committee, it's best we take action early and begin to build momentum now so that we can continue to push for this bill for as long as we need to.
This piece of legislation is being heard in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, so it's important to reach out to your representation in both houses of Congress. There are lots of ways to contact your Congresspeople: a phone call during working hours if you're comfortable, leaving a voicemail after hours, or sending an email.
You can call the Congressional switchboard to talk to your Representatives' staff or leave a message at (202) 224-3121 for the Senate and (202) 225-3121 for the House of Representatives.
If email is more accessible to you, you can use the template below from Cure SMA! This template is focused on the Spinal Muscular Dystrophy community, and can be personalized with your experience to go out to your representatives!
You can also find your Reps' emails on their Congressional websites. To identify who your representatives are in the House and Senate, check out the link below!
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