What is countable income?
Countable Income definition
Countable (base) income, including but not limited to, wages, salaries and tips; or means-tested benefits such as SSI, Social Security and veteran's benefits.
Generally, things that don't count toward your income limit include: State SSI supplement payments. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits (food stamps) Section 8 housing vouchers.
For the earnings limits, we don't count income such as other government benefits, investment earnings, interest, pensions, annuities, and capital gains.
When we figure out how much to deduct from your benefits, we count only the wages you make from your job or your net profit if you're self-employed. We include bonuses, commissions, and vacation pay.
What is income? SSI considers “income” anything a person receives that can be used for food or shelter. Income includes but isn't limited to cash, checks, and “gift” items received, such as food and shelter. SSI divides income into 2 categories — earned and unearned.
In general, the Social Security Administration (SSA) considers countable income to be items that you receive during a calendar month that can be used as, or to obtain, food or shelter.
In-kind income: Any gain or benefit not in the form of money and provided directly to the household. For example, a client's neighbor provides produce from his garden. Loans: Any amount of money that must be repaid is not countable as income.
Current beneficiaries who exceed the limits are suspended and then terminated from program participation if their savings remain above the limits, and they must repay any benefits paid while they are over the limit. SSI beneficiaries are limited to only $2,000 in assets of any kind.
1. You have little or no income (like wages and Social Security benefits) SSI is generally for individuals who don't earn more than $1,971 from work each month.
Does collecting Social Security count as income?
About 40% of people who get Social Security must pay federal income taxes on their benefits. This usually happens if you have other substantial income in addition to your benefits.
Social Security will take into consideration the amount of your assets, because it is a needs-based program. To be eligible for SSI, your assets must be less than $2,000 for an individual and less than $3,000 for a married couple.
Unlike what most people believe, lottery winnings do not affect your social security disability benefits (SSDI). But it can reduce or totally cut your Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
Income limitations: Selling your home does not directly impact your eligibility for Social Security benefits. However, if you earn income from the sale, it could potentially affect the taxation of your benefits or eligibility for certain assistance programs.
Social Security can potentially be subject to tax regardless of your age. While you may have heard at some point that Social Security is no longer taxable after 70 or some other age, this isn't the case. In reality, Social Security is taxed at any age if your income exceeds a certain level.
Will withdrawals from my individual retirement account affect my Social Security benefits? Social Security does not count pension payments, annuities, or the interest or dividends from your savings and investments as earnings. They do not lower your Social Security retirement benefits.
To get SSI, your countable resources must not be worth more than $2,000 for an individual or $3,000 for a couple. We call this the resource limit. Countable resources are the things you own that count toward the resource limit. Many things you own do not count.
The Social Security five-year rule is the time period in which you can file for an expedited reinstatement after your Social Security disability benefits have been terminated completely due to work.
If you have reached full retirement age, you can receive your entire benefit, no matter how much you earn. If your full retirement age is 67, you can begin collecting Social Security benefits when you turn 62.
Arthritis and other musculoskeletal system disabilities make up the most commonly approved conditions for social security disability benefits. This is because arthritis is so common. In the United States, over 58 million people suffer from arthritis.
What can cause you to lose your Social Security disability benefits?
Benefits will end if work and earnings are above the substantial level after the 36-month re-entitlement period. If we decide that your medical condition has improved and you no longer have a disability.
All SSDI beneficiaries can earn up to $1,470 a month (in 2023) as long as they are able to work, with no loss in benefits — which could more than double the income of a beneficiary receiving the average benefit of $1,483.
Step 1: We subtract any income that we do not count from your total gross income. The remaining amount is your "countable income."
In mathematics, a set is countable if either it is finite or it can be made in one to one correspondence with the set of natural numbers.
While the number of times SSI checks your bank account is not standardized, it may be anywhere from a single year to six years. The SSI can also check when you go through life-altering experiences. Checking the money in the bank account is also vital to the SSI redetermination process.
References
- https://faq.ssa.gov/en-us/Topic/article/KA-01939
- https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/individuals/earned-income-tax-credit/earned-income-and-earned-income-tax-credit-eitc-tables
- https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/individuals/earned-income-tax-credit/disability-and-the-earned-income-tax-credit-eitc
- https://eohhs.ehs.state.ma.us/DTA/PolicyOnline/BEACON5/!SSL!/WebHelp/SNAP/Eligibility_Requirements/Income/Noncountable_Earned_Income/Noncountable_Income.htm
- https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/102814/what-maximum-i-can-receive-my-social-security-retirement-benefit.asp
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Countable_set
- https://www.jacksonhewitt.com/tax-help/tax-tips-topics/filing-your-taxes/earned-income-vs-unearned-income/
- https://www.irs.gov/government-entities/indian-tribal-governments/itg-faq-2-answer-what-income-is-considered-earned-income
- https://www.johnfoy.com/faqs/what-are-the-top-10-disabilities/
- https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10072.pdf
- https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10044.pdf
- https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10070.pdf
- https://www.fool.com/retirement/social-security/benefits-formula/
- https://apps.irs.gov/app/IPAR/resources/help/eihave.html
- https://benefits.com/supplemental-security-income-ssi/how-often-does-ssi-check-your-bank-accounts/
- https://faq.ssa.gov/en-us/Topic/article/KA-01921
- https://ca.db101.org/ca/programs/income_support/ssi/program2a.htm
- https://www.rocketlawyer.com/family-and-personal/estate-planning/manage-another-estate/legal-guide/will-you-owe-gift-taxes-if-you-are-giving-or-receiving-a-large-gift
- https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/disability/work.html
- https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/what-is-taxable-and-nontaxable-income
- https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/credits.html
- https://www.moneyfit.org/gross-vs-net/
- https://www.ssa.gov/ssi/eligibility
- https://www.ssa.gov/retirement/eligibility
- https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/annuities.html
- https://www.iowalegalaid.org/resource/my-only-income-is-social-security-do-i-have-to-pay-any-taxes-on-my-benefits
- https://www.ssa.gov/ssi/spotlights/spot-reporting-earnings.htm
- https://www.irs.gov/faqs/social-security-income
- https://smartasset.com/retirement/is-social-security-taxed-after-age-70
- https://www.forbes.com/advisor/retirement/social-security-5-year-rule/
- https://www.hrblock.com/tax-center/filing/dependents/social-security-dependent-benefits/
- https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/exemptincome.asp
- https://apps.irs.gov/app/vita/content/globalmedia/teacher/11_retincome_lesplan.pdf
- https://www.kiplinger.com/retirement/social-security/604321/taxes-on-social-security-benefits
- https://www.fool.com/retirement/2023/12/30/heres-average-social-security-benefit-age-62-66-70/
- https://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/cfr20/416/416-1110.htm
- https://www.ssa.gov/news/press/factsheets/HowAreSocialSecurity.htm
- https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-11015.pdf
- https://www.1040.com/blog/2017/1/12/do-cash-gifts-count-as-income/
- https://victormalcalaw.com/winning-lottery-social-security/
- https://www.ml.com/articles/taxes-and-your-social-security.html
- https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10024.pdf
- https://choosework.ssa.gov/blog/2019-04-04-gross-and-net-income-whats-the-difference
- https://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/Benefits.html
- http://www.healthreformbeyondthebasics.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Modified-Adjusted-Gross-Income-FAQ.pdf
- https://www.covisum.com/knowledge-base/what-income-is-counted-towards-the-earnings-test
- https://www.usnews.com/banking/articles/do-you-pay-taxes-on-savings-account-interest
- https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10007.pdf
- https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/lowering-agi-this-year-can-help-taxpayers-when-they-file-next-year
- https://fhi360.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/cfpb_building_block_activities_distinguishing-earned-unearned-income_guide.pdf
- https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/whileworking.html
- https://www.investopedia.com/terms/i/identified-shares.asp
- https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/netearns.html
- https://www.investopedia.com/retirement/8-types-americans-who-wont-get-social-security/
- https://taxfoundation.org/taxedu/glossary/pass-through-business-deduction-sec-199a/
- https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/taxes/2024/01/04/extra-standard-deductions-seniors-2024/72088966007/
- https://finance.yahoo.com/news/social-security-16-728-yearly-155211996.html
- https://smartasset.com/retirement/social-security-bonus
- https://www.ssa.gov/ssi/text-income-ussi.htm
- https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tips/irs-tax-return/how-to-find-your-adjusted-gross-income-agi-to-e-file-your-tax-return/L2BNspAbm
- https://www.ssa.gov/ssi/spotlights/spot-resources.htm
- https://finance.yahoo.com/news/social-security-taxed-age-70-134206548.html
- https://www.bankrate.com/retirement/how-social-security-benefits-are-calculated/
- https://www.forbes.com/advisor/retirement/calculate-social-security-benefits/
- https://www.ssa.gov/ssi/limits-exceptions
- https://www.cbpp.org/research/social-security/the-case-for-updating-ssi-asset-limits
- https://liheapch.acf.hhs.gov/delivery/income_defining.htm
- https://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/countableincome.html
- https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/081915/how-social-security-tax-calculated.asp
- https://soarworks.samhsa.gov/article/ssissdi-post-entitlement-events-guide
- https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/credit-cards/credit-intel/gross-income/
- https://en.as.com/latest_news/social-security-is-it-possible-to-qualify-for-an-annual-bonus-of-16728-n/
- https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/definition-of-adjusted-gross-income
- https://finance.yahoo.com/news/housing-market-2023-happens-sell-183403809.html
- https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/heres-the-average-social-security-benefit-at-ages-62-66-and-70
- https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/investing/social-security/maximum-social-security-benefit
- https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10069.pdf
- https://www.farrin.com/disability-lawyers/what-counts-income-resources/
- https://apps.irs.gov/app/IPAR/resources/help/unearn.html
- https://www.collective.com/blog/s-corp-distributions-2
- https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/documents/cfpb_building_block_activities_understanding-paycheck-deductions_handout.pdf
- https://www.cbpp.org/research/retirement-security/policy-basics-social-security-disability-insurance
- https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tips/retirement/when-does-a-senior-citizen-on-social-security-stop-filing-taxes/L53Hx1v9W
- https://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/cfr20/416/416-1124.htm
- https://www.greemantoomey.com/you-can-collect-social-security-benefits-even-if-youve-never-worked/
- https://money.usnews.com/money/retirement/401ks/articles/what-is-the-4-rule
- https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-news/at-01-08.pdf
- https://smartasset.com/retirement/minimum-social-security-benefit
- https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10095.pdf
- https://calswec.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/faq_for_nmds_sws_and_caregivers_on_calfresh_benefits.pdf
- https://www.ssa.gov/ssi/reporting/wages
- https://smartasset.com/retirement/do-seniors-ever-stop-filing-taxes
- https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/120715/how-does-my-parttime-job-affect-social-security.asp
- https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/taxes.html
- https://www.fidelity.com/viewpoints/retirement/social-security-at-62
- https://www.cuddiganlaw.com/blog/how-money-in-the-bank-or-other-assets-may-affect-your-eligibility-for-social-security-disability.cfm
- https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/103015/can-your-401k-impact-your-social-security-benefits.asp
