Effective Dates: 05/30/2007 - Present Previous | Next

SI 00810.130 Income Derived from Joint Bank Accounts

A. Introduction

This section explainshow to charge income in different situations involving the joint bank account of an SSI recipient/claimant and/or deemor.

When an SSI recipient or claimant has a joint bank account with another individual, deposits made to the account by other account holders or interest posted to the account are incometo the SSI recipient. See SI 00810.130B.1.c. and SI 00810.130B.2. for exceptions.

References in this section to an “SSI recipient”also include an SSI claimant and individuals whose income and/or resources are subject to deeming.

See SI 01120.210 for resource determinations involving bank accounts.

B. Operating Policies

1. General

  1. a. 

    When a joint bank account is held by an SSI recipient and an ineligibleindividual who is not a deemor, income to the SSI recipient includes:

    • •

      the full amount of any interest posted to the account and

    • •

      the full amount of any deposit made by a third party or by the ineligible bank account holder unless the SSI recipient is acting as an agent (see SI 00810.120D.1.).

  2. b. 

    When two or more SSI recipients are joint account holders, deposits made by one individual are not income to the other. Allocate interest equally among the joint holders.

  3. c. 

    Section 430 of P.L. 108-203, the Social Security Protection Act of 2004, provides that interest earned on resources not excluded under section 1613(a) of the Social Security Act or excluded under other Federal statutes is excluded from income for SSI benefits payable on or after July 1, 2004. See SI 00830.500C.

2. Rebuttal situations

  1. a. 

    If an SSI recipient successfully rebuts ownership of a portion of funds in a joint account(see SI 01140.205), deposits made by the other account holder are not income to the SSI recipient. Interest is charged to the SSI recipient in proportion to the percentage of funds that are a resource to the recipient.

  2. b. 

    If an SSI recipient successfully rebuts ownership of all the funds held in a joint bank account, deposits by the other account holders or interest posted to the account are not income to the recipient.

To Link to this section - Use this URL:
http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0500810130
SI 00810.130 - Income Derived from Joint Bank Accounts - 05/30/2007
Batch run: 11/21/2013
Rev:05/30/2007