Virginia SSI Income Limit 2026

The 2026 Federal Benefit Rate

The maximum SSI payment for an individual in 2026 is $994 per month. This is the Federal Benefit Rate — the ceiling for what SSI pays before any income reductions. Virginia does not add a general state supplement on top of this for individuals living independently. The state's Auxiliary Grant program covers room and board only for those in licensed assisted living facilities or adult care residences, not a general monthly top-up.

The resource limit is $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple. This counts cash, bank accounts, stocks, and most liquid assets. It does not count the home the person lives in, one vehicle, household goods, or up to $100,000 held in an ABLEnow account.

How Unearned Income Reduces SSI

Unearned income includes Social Security benefits (SSDI, DAC), pensions, child support, and any regular payment that isn't wages. SSA applies a $20 general income exclusion first. After that, every dollar of unearned income reduces the SSI payment dollar-for-dollar.

If a Virginia adult receives $300/month in unearned income:

• Subtract the $20 exclusion: $280 countable
• SSI payment: $994 − $280 = $714/month

When unearned income reaches $1,014/month ($994 + $20 exclusion), the SSI payment drops to zero and eligibility ends.

How Earned Income Is Treated Differently

Earned income — wages and self-employment — gets more favorable treatment. SSA excludes the first $65 of gross monthly earnings, then counts only half of the remainder:

Countable earned income = (Gross earnings − $65) ÷ 2

This means an SSI recipient in Virginia can earn substantially more than the $994 FBR before losing benefits entirely. For someone with no other income, the breakout point is $2,053 in gross monthly earnings before SSI drops to zero.

The Student Earned Income Exclusion provides even more protection for students under 22 who are regularly attending school. In 2026, up to $2,410 per month (maximum $9,730 per year) is excluded from earned income before the standard calculation applies.

Substantial Gainful Activity: The Other Limit

The SGA threshold is $1,690 per month in 2026 for non-blind individuals ($2,830 for blind individuals). This is different from the income limit — SGA determines whether someone qualifies as disabled at all for initial eligibility and continuing disability reviews.

If someone earns above SGA, SSA considers them capable of substantial work and they lose disability status entirely. The earned income exclusions described above only matter for calculating the payment amount; SGA is evaluated separately using gross earnings before exclusions.

However, there are important exceptions. On SSDI, a Trial Work Period lets the beneficiary earn above SGA for up to 9 months within a 60-month window without triggering a disability determination. SSI uses a different rule: section 1619(a) can continue SSI cash payments after earnings exceed SGA, and 1619(b) can continue Medicaid. Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWEs) can reduce countable earnings below SGA.

In-Kind Support and Maintenance

When an adult SSI recipient lives with family and doesn't pay their share of shelter costs, SSA applies an In-Kind Support and Maintenance (ISM) charge. As of September 30, 2024, food is permanently excluded from ISM — only shelter costs (rent, mortgage, utilities) count.

If the individual lives rent-free, SSA applies the Presumed Maximum Value rule. The PMV is one-third of the FBR plus $20 ($351.33 in 2026); after the $20 general income exclusion, the countable reduction is $331.33:

PMV countable reduction: $994 ÷ 3 = $331.33

This drops the maximum monthly payment from $994 to $662.67. Establishing a written room and board agreement where the adult child pays their pro-rata share of shelter costs avoids this reduction entirely.

What Doesn't Count Toward the $2,000 Resource Limit

Several categories of assets are excluded:

• The home the individual lives in
• One vehicle (regardless of value)
• Household goods and personal effects
• Burial funds up to $1,500
• Life insurance with a face value of $1,500 or less
• Up to $100,000 in an ABLEnow account
• Assets held in a properly structured Special Needs Trust (third-party or first-party)
• A Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) account

The ABLEnow exclusion is particularly significant in Virginia. The state's ABLE program allows contributions up to $20,000 per year ($35,650 for employed individuals without an employer retirement plan), and Virginia has eliminated Medicaid estate recovery against ABLEnow accounts.

The Long-Term Care Medicaid Income Limit

For individuals receiving DD waiver services, the income limit is far more generous: 300% of the SSI FBR, which is $2,982 per month in 2026. Virginia is a medically needy state, so individuals whose income exceeds this threshold can still qualify through a spend-down of medical expenses.

The Virginia SSI at 18 & Adult Disability Benefits Guide includes the full income and resource calculations, the room and board agreement process, and how to coordinate SSI income rules with Virginia's waiver system.

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