I recently read The Kingstree Post and Courier article: “Social Security omitting in-kind food support” (April 3 issue). I also read a news item stating that the Social Security SSI asset maximum limit might be raised soon. I indeed hope so. Supplemental Security Income or SSI, is an income-based program administered by the Social Security Administration to low-income, blind, disabled, and over age 65 low-income people. Currently, the maximum assets that an individual can possess and still be eligible for benefits is $2,000 (or $3,000 in the bank for couples). While this excludes a house and car, this isn’t a lot of money as a nest-egg in today’s world. While some religious items and personal effects are allowed, this should be increased also to allow people to keep what is sentimental to them and has sentimental value to them alone, perhaps. The last time a threshold-limit change was made to this limit was the year 1989. To give some perspective on this span of time: President Ronald Reagan left office in 1989. To not have a Cost-of-living (COLA) adjustment for over 35 years is a disgrace. Many of our citizens are struggling to make ends meet. I have family in South Carolina and some depend on these programs. I hope that Congress and President Biden will swiftly amend this to allow individuals to keep $10,000 in savings and also keep their dignity. In today’s economy, it is vital to keep pace with minimum needs for people to survive with the “basics” of life. Americans deserve that economic “floor” to be raised in order to survive decently, without having to do spend-downs into poverty to comply with archaic statutes.
