SSI at 50: Modernizing the Social Safety Net for People with Disabilities and Older Adults

Despite the significance of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to the nation’s social safety net, advocates argue it is in desperate need of modernization. Many of its program rules have not been updated in four decades, despite dramatic changes in the country’s attitudes about and policies meant to support full community inclusion of people with disabilities. Applying for SSI can be a lengthy and complicated process, program eligibility and payment requirements can be confusing, and asset limits discourage saving for life’s unexpected events. Mathematica and the National Academy of Social Insurance will host a virtual event on October 8, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. ET to examine the state of SSI 50 years after the program's first payment and to discuss evidence-based reforms that could strengthen the program for the next 50 years.