Supplemental Security Income
Recipient Population Has Changed as Caseloads Have Burgeoned Gao ID: T-HEHS-95-120 March 27, 1995The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program provides means-tested income support payments to eligible aged, blind, or disabled persons. Last year, more than 6 million SSI recipients received nearly $22 billion in federal benefits and more than $3 billion in state benefits. SSI is one of the fastest growing entitlement programs, with program costs soaring 20 percent annually during the past four years. This testimony focuses on factors contributing to caseload growth, characteristics of SSI recipients, and ways to improve SSI.