FREEDOM TO EARN & MARRY
How does this help the disability community.
Individuals with disabilities have the same desires and dreams that people without disabilities have. Most people with disabilities want to work for a living, meet their soul mate, and possibly get married. The current state of the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program is prohibitive to both. The SSI program offers a monthly financial stipend to those individuals with disabilities who meet the eligibility criteria. At this time, to meet the requirements and maintain eligibility for the SSI program, individuals with disabilities are prohibited from possessing assets exceeding $2,000, while married couples must not possess resources exceeding $3,000. Caping a person’s ability to save severely limits a budget. These limits to assets are a major hurdle for people with disabilities trying to live independently. These parameters prevent a person from having any kind of meaningful savings. Additionally, they are a serious impediment to people with disabilities who want to get married. A single person is allowed to have up to $2000 in assets however, the combined allowable assets is significantly less for a married couple. A person should be able to have the same amount of assets whether or not they are married.
Furthermore, imagine if you were in a job where the paid income was exactly the same since 1984. This is the case for the SSI program, the resource limits have been the same since 1984 without any changes to reflect inflation. Inflation and living expenses have skyrocketed since then. Raising and adjusting these resource restrictions yearly to account for inflation and economic circumstances is crucial. Individuals would be able to receive up to $10,000 and married couples up to $20,000 under the SSI Savings Penalty Act (H.R. 5408 and S. 2767), with both caps being adjusted for inflation each year. This allows people with disabilities to have a substantial savings. It also eliminates a financial barrier for those wanting to get married, and because of the current housing difficulty, it is an essential component for people with disabilities in case of emergencies.
~Elizabeth Brassell, YAC member
