SSI is considered a welfare program and is for those persons who are impoverished and
disabled to the point of being unable to work or, for children, disabled to the point of having
marked and severe functional limitations. A person, or the child’s family, must have less than
$2000 in assets when applying for SSI and must earn less than $7,000 per year. A home and one
car are excluded from the $2000 asset maximum. A person cannot accumulate more than $2000
while on SSI benefits; again this does not include a home and a car. A person receiving an SSI
cash benefit also receives Medicaid.