Bill would make long needed updates to help children, seniors and disabled individuals
WASHINGTON— Today, Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) reintroduced the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Restoration Act. The bill modernizes and improves SSI by streamlining the claiming process, increasing asset limits, setting the minimum benefit at 100 percent of the Federal Poverty Level, and eliminating punitive reductions in benefits.
Nearly eight million Americans over the age of 65 or with significant disabilities rely on SSI benefits to meet their basic needs. Currently, SSI benefits provide an average income that is below the poverty line. With the program being largely unchanged since its inception in 1972, the SSI Restoration Act makes critical updates to keep beneficiaries out of poverty and improve access to the program.
“SSI has long been a last resort and a critical safety net for keeping seniors and those with disabilities from falling into poverty,” said Rep. Grijalva. “For more than 50 years, we have fallen short of restoring the program to do what it was intended to do – meet basic needs for blind, disabled, and aged people who will otherwise go without. It’s time to update SSI to reflect the 21st century so our most vulnerable receive the economic security and certainty they deserve.”
“Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is an economic lifeline for over eight million low-income seniors, people with disabilities, and families who rely on the program to survive. Unfortunately, the income requirements and benefit amounts are operating as if we were still in 1972. The time is now to modernize the SSI program,” said Rep. Schakowsky. “That is why I am proud to reintroduce the Supplemental Security Income Restoration Act with Reps. Grijalva and Slotkin to update and improve SSI by simplifying the claiming process, raising the resources and income limits, and repealing reductions in benefits. Every person deserves to age with dignity and respect. Let’s get it done!”
“I’ve met with families across my district who depend on SSI to meet their most basic needs,” said Rep. Slotkin. “For all the benefits this program has provided, it’s been largely unchanged since its inception in 1972, so the hurdles and restrictions to accessing these benefits are often outdated and burdensome. The SSI Restoration Act is a common-sense approach to help families support independent living of individuals with disabilities and to better enable individuals with disabilities to be independent and work without fear of losing benefits.”
The SSI Restoration Act is cosponsored by 34 members of Congress, including Reps. Cori Bush (MO-01), Eleanor Holmes Norton (AL-DC), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (AL-NMI), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Lisa Blunt Rochester (AL-DE), Mary Peltola (AL-AK), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), Grace Napolitano (CA-31), Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Ruben Gallego (AZ-03), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Mark Takano (CA-39), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Joe Neguse (CO-02), Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18), Lucy McBath (GA-07), Derek Kilmer (WA-06), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Becca Balint (VT-AL), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Dina Titus (NV-01), Ro Khanna (CA-17), and John Larson (CT-01).
The bill is endorsed by over 100 organizations. The full list can be found here.
A one-pager on the legislation can be found here.