For most people, getting married is a celebration. For people on SSI, it can also mean a significant cut to their benefits. The so-called "marriage penalty" in the SSI program has forced countless couples to choose between the person they love and the benefits they depend on. It's one of the most deeply unfair aspects of the disability benefits system — and while there are ongoing legislative efforts to change it, the penalty is still very much in effect in 2026.
In this article, we'll cover:
- How the SSI marriage penalty works and why it exists
- Exactly how much benefits are reduced when two SSI recipients marry
- The combined resource limit for married couples
- Where things stand with legislative efforts to eliminate the penalty
- Strategies couples use to protect their benefits
- What to consider before getting married while receiving SSI
How Does the SSI Marriage Penalty Work?
When two individuals receive SSI separately, each person can receive up to the federal maximum of $994/month in 2026. That's a combined household income of $1,988/month between the two of them.
But the moment those two people get married, their benefits are recalculated as a couple. The SSI rate for a married couple is $1,491/month — which means they lose $497 every single month just by getting married. Over a year, that's a nearly $6,000 reduction in income for two people who were already living on very little.
The logic behind this reduction is an outdated assumption that two people living together as a married couple have lower combined expenses than two individuals living separately. While there may be some truth to shared housing costs, a $497/month cut is devastating for people whose total income is under $2,000 a month to begin with.
The Resource Limit Gets Tighter Too
The income cut isn't the only financial impact. The SSI resource limit also changes when you marry. As an individual, you can have up to $2,000 in countable resources. As a married couple, the limit increases to just $3,000 — not $4,000 as you might expect.
This means that a married couple on SSI has only $1,000 more in resource allowance than a single person, despite being two people with two sets of needs. Managing two lives within that $3,000 limit requires extremely careful financial planning.
What If Only One Spouse Receives SSI?
The marriage penalty also affects situations where only one person in the couple receives SSI. If you're on SSI and you marry someone who works or has income from another source, a portion of your spouse's income may be "deemed" to you — meaning the SSA considers some of their income as if it were yours, which can reduce or eliminate your SSI payment entirely.
This income deeming applies even if your spouse's income is modest. The SSA uses a formula that allows for certain deductions and exclusions, but the result is often a meaningful reduction in the SSI recipient's benefits. In some cases, marrying someone with a full-time job can cause you to lose SSI completely, even though your spouse's income alone may not be enough to support the household.
Legislative Efforts to Eliminate the Penalty
The good news is that there's growing bipartisan support for changing these rules. The SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act and related legislation have been introduced in Congress to raise the resource limits and address the marriage penalty. Proposals have included increasing the individual resource limit from $2,000 to $10,000 (with the couple limit rising proportionally), eliminating the reduced couple rate so that married individuals each keep their full individual benefit, and updating the deeming rules to be less punitive.
As of 2026, these proposals continue to be debated but have not yet been signed into law. Advocacy organizations continue to push for reform, and the marriage penalty remains one of the most widely criticized aspects of the SSI program.
If this issue matters to you, contacting your representatives in Congress and sharing your story can make a real difference. Organizations like the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities and the National Council on Disability actively advocate for these changes.
Strategies Couples Use to Protect Benefits
While the marriage penalty is difficult to navigate, some couples use legal tools to protect at least a portion of their financial security. ABLE accounts can help. Each spouse can maintain their own ABLE account, and the funds don't count toward the $3,000 couple resource limit (up to $100,000 per account for SSI purposes). This gives married couples on SSI more room to save and plan. Special needs trusts offer another layer of protection. Assets held in a properly structured trust are not counted as resources for SSI purposes, which can help couples manage larger sums. Some couples also make a difficult but pragmatic choice to delay marriage until the laws change, maintaining their relationship without the legal marriage that triggers the benefit reduction.
None of these strategies fully eliminate the penalty — they're workarounds for a system that hasn't caught up with basic fairness. But they can help soften the financial impact.
What to Consider Before Getting Married on SSI
If you're in a relationship and thinking about marriage, it's worth sitting down and doing the math before you make any decisions. Calculate the actual dollar impact by comparing your current combined individual benefits to what you'd receive as a married couple. Look at the resource limit change and whether managing within $3,000 is realistic for your household. Understand the income deeming rules if one of you has income beyond SSI. Consider opening ABLE accounts before the marriage to establish a savings buffer, and consult with a benefits counselor or disability rights attorney who can walk you through your specific situation.
The marriage penalty doesn't mean you can't get married — but it does mean you should go in with your eyes open and a plan in place.
Navigating SSI's complicated rules shouldn't stand between you and your future. Purple helps SSI recipients track their resources and understand their benefits in real time, so you can plan ahead with confidence — whether you're single or planning a life together.