SSA - POMS: SI 01210.620 - Special Blind Income Disregards - Recipient With Ineligible Spouse

A. Introduction

This section provides the policy and procedure for determining eligibility and payment amount, and an example illustrating the computations.

B. Policy

We calculate countable income under the State plan using the method below that would result in thesmallerSSI benefit:

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Treating the eligible individual as if there were no spouse, ignoring the spouse's income and using the individual FBR; or
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Calculating the countable income of the eligible individual under the State plan, and then adding the ineligible spouse's gross income. We apply no disregards or allowances to the ineligible spouse's income unless provided for under the State plan. (Regional instructions will explain if this is the case.)

C. Procedure

1. Example

A blind grandfathered recipient living in State X has an ineligible spouse and one minor ineligible child, who has no income. The blind recipient has the following income:

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$250.00 wages
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$35.00 BWE under State plan rules
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$75.00 BWE under Federal SSI rules
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$60.00 union pension

The ineligible spouse has $375.00 in wages.

The State plan income disregards used in the Example are typical. Actual disregards vary by State.

2. Chart: Determining Eligibility and Payment Amount

STEP
1	Compute SSI benefit using BCI of recipient only.	Apply the applicable State plan income disregards (SI 01210.500) to the recipient's income only, and compute the SSI benefit using the individual Federal benefit rate (FBR).	Unearned Income of Recipient $ 60.00 union pension - 7.50 general disregard $ 52.50 countable unearned income Earned Income of Recipient $250.00 wages - 85.00 earned income disregard $165.00 ÷ 2 disregard of one-half of remainder $ 82.50 - 35.00 BWE (State plan) $ 47.50 countable earned income
			BCI of Recipient Only $ 52.50 countable unearned income +47.50 countable earned income $100.00 BCI
			Benefit Computation $368.00 individual FBR (1989) -100.00 BCI $268.00 SSI benefit
2	Compute SSI benefit using BCI from combined income of recipient and ineligible spouse .	Apply the applicable State plan blind income disregards to the income of the recipient only. Add the spouse's income, without applying any disregards. Do not subtract any living allowance from the spouse's income unless provided for in State plan. Compute the SSI benefit using the couple FBR.	Unearned Income of Recipient Only $ 60.00 union pension - 7.50 general disregard $ 52.50 countable unearned income Earned Income of Recipient Only $250.00 wages - 85.00 earned income disregard $165.00 ÷ 2 disregard of one-half of remainder $ 82.50 - 35.00 BWE (State plan) $ 47.50 countable earned income BCI of Recipient Only $ 52.50 countable uneared income +47.50 countable earned income $100.00 BCI BCI for the Couple $100.00 BCI of recipient only +375.00 spouse's income $ 475.00 BCI

STEP	ACTION	EXPLANATION	EXAMPLE
			Benefit Computation $553.00 Couple FBR (1989) - 475.00 BCI $ 78.00 SSI benefit
3	Determine SSI benefit payable using BCI.	Compare results of steps 1 and 2. Use the lower benefit amount.	$ 78.00 step 2 result
4	Compute SSI benefit using CI/FR of recipient only	Apply the SSI exclusions to the income of the recipient only , and compute the SSI benefit using the individual FBR.	Unearned Income of Recipient $ 60.00 union pension - 20.00 general exclusion $ 40.00 countable unearned income
		This is a required step in spouse-to-spouse deeming computations under Federal rules, per SI 01320.400C.2.	Earned Income of Recipient $250.00 wages - 65.00 earned income exclusion $185.00 ÷ 2 exclusion of one-half of remainder $ 92.50 - 75.00 BWE (Federal) $ 17.50 countable earned income
		The system performs this computation, except for cases requiring a manual computation.	CI/FR $ 40.00 countable uneared income +17.50 countable earned income $ 57.50 CI/FR Benefit Computation $368.00 individual FBR (1989) - 57.50 CI/FR $310.50 SSI benefit

STEP	ACTION	EXPLANATION	EXAMPLE
5	Compute SSI benefit using CI/FR from combined income of recipient and ineligible spouse	Apply the SSI exclusions to the income of the couple. Subtract allocation for ineligible children, if applicable. Compute the SSI benefit using the couple FBR. This is a required step in spouse-to- spouse deeming computations under Federal rules, per SI 01320.400 B.- C.1. Form SSA-8015 may be used (SI 01320.700-.720).	Unearned Income of the Couple $ 60.00 union pension - 20.00 general exclusion $ 40.00 countable unearned income Earned Income of the Couple $ 375.00 spouse's wages - 185.00 ineligible child allocation $ 190.00 +250.00 recipient's wages $ 440.00 - 65.00 earned income exclusion $ 375.00 ÷ 2 exclusion of one-half of remainder $ 187.50 - 75.00 BWE (Federal) $ 112.50 countable earned income
		The system performs this computation, except for cases requiring a manual computation.	CI/FR $ 40.00 countable unearned income +112.50 countable earned income $ 152.50 CI/FR Benefit Computation $553.00 Couple FBR (1989) -152.50 CI/FR $400.50 SSI benefit
6	Determine SSI benefit payable using CI/FR.	Compare results of steps 4 and 5. Use the lower benefit amount. The system usually performs this comparison.	$310.50 step 4 result

STEP	ACTION	EXPLANATION	EXAMPLE

7	Determine SSI benefit and CI.	Compare results of steps 3 and 6. Pay the higher benefit amount.(After gross income and BCI have been input, the system performs this comparison, except for cases in force due.)	SSI Benefit $310.50 step 6 result

D. References

BCI Initial Claims Input, SM 01005.194

BCI Posteligibility Input, SM 01305.315

Social Security

Program Operations Manual System (POMS)

SI 01210.620 Special Blind Income Disregards - Recipient With Ineligible Spouse