For many people on SSI, falling in love comes with an uncomfortable question: can I afford to get married? The so-called "marriage penalty" in SSI is very real—and for some couples, it can mean losing hundreds of dollars per month in benefits. Understanding exactly how marriage affects SSI can help you make informed decisions about your future and explore strategies to protect your financial security while building a life with your partner.
In this article, we'll cover:
- What the SSI marriage penalty actually is
- How your benefit amount changes when you marry
- The impact of your spouse's income (deeming rules)
- How the resource limit changes for married couples
- Comparing SSI to SSDI marriage rules
- Strategies for couples navigating the marriage penalty
What Is the SSI Marriage Penalty?
The SSI marriage penalty refers to the reduction in benefits that occurs when two SSI recipients marry, or when an SSI recipient marries someone with income or resources. Unlike most married-couple tax benefits that reward marriage, SSI's rules often punish it financially.
The penalty exists because SSI is designed as a safety net for individuals with very limited means. When you marry, Social Security views you as a household unit and assumes you'll share expenses and support each other—even if that's not entirely realistic. The result is that married couples on SSI receive less per person than single individuals, and a working spouse's income can reduce or eliminate the SSI recipient's benefits entirely.
This policy has been criticized by disability advocates for decades as outdated and harmful, forcing people to choose between marriage and financial survival. While there have been occasional calls for reform, the marriage penalty remains in effect as of 2025.
How Your Benefit Amount Changes
The most straightforward part of the marriage penalty is the change in the federal SSI payment rate.
For individuals in 2026, the maximum federal SSI payment is $994 per month. If two people receiving SSI are living together unmarried, they can each receive up to $994, for a combined total of $1,988 per month.
For married couples in 2026, the maximum federal SSI payment is $1,491 per month total—that's approximately $746 per person. By getting married, a couple loses $497 per month, or nearly $5,964 per year, even if nothing else about their situation changes.
This reduction happens automatically when you report your marriage to Social Security. There's no exception, waiver, or way around it for couples who both receive SSI.
Some states provide a supplemental payment on top of the federal SSI amount. The marriage penalty may or may not apply to these state supplements depending on your state's rules, so the total impact could be somewhat different depending on where you live.
Income Deeming: When Your Spouse Works
If you receive SSI and marry someone who works or has other income, the situation can be even more challenging. Social Security uses a process called "deeming" to count a portion of your spouse's income as available to you—whether or not they actually share it with you.
Here's how deeming works: Social Security takes your spouse's total income, subtracts certain allowances (for their own needs and any other dependents), and "deems" the remainder to you as if it were your own income. This deemed income then reduces your SSI payment.
The math gets complicated quickly, but the bottom line is this: if your spouse earns a moderate income, your SSI could be significantly reduced. If they earn above a certain threshold—often somewhere around $2,000-$3,000 per month depending on circumstances—your SSI could be eliminated entirely.
A real-world example: Sarah receives SSI of $994 per month. She marries Tom, who earns $2,500 per month from his job. After applying deeming rules, Social Security determines that $1,200 of Tom's income is "deemed" to Sarah. Since this exceeds her SSI benefit amount, Sarah loses her entire SSI payment.
Your spouse's income doesn't have to be dramatically high to trigger this effect. For many couples, even a modest working income is enough to reduce or eliminate the SSI recipient's benefits.
Resource Limits for Married Couples
Beyond the income rules, marriage also affects the resource limits that determine SSI eligibility.
For individuals, the SSI resource limit is $2,000. You can have up to $2,000 in countable resources (like cash, bank accounts, and investments) and remain eligible for SSI.
For married couples, the limit is $3,000 combined—not $4,000 as you might expect. This means if you and your partner each had $2,000 in savings before marriage, you'd suddenly be over the limit by $1,000 and could lose eligibility.
When calculating resources for a married couple, Social Security looks at both spouses' assets regardless of whose name is on the account or who earned the money. Your spouse's savings, checking accounts, stocks, and other countable assets are added to yours.
Certain resources remain excluded for married couples just as they are for individuals: your home, one vehicle, household goods, burial plots, and up to $1,500 designated for burial expenses per person. But any cash or liquid assets beyond the exclusions count toward the $3,000 limit.
How SSDI Differs
It's important to understand that SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) does not have a marriage penalty. If you receive SSDI instead of (or in addition to) SSI, the SSDI rules are much more marriage-friendly.
Your SSDI benefit is based entirely on your own work history and has nothing to do with your spouse's income, your spouse's resources, or your marital status. Whether you marry someone who earns nothing or someone who earns $500,000, your SSDI payment stays exactly the same.
In fact, marriage can sometimes help SSDI households. Your spouse may become eligible for spousal benefits (up to 50% of your SSDI amount) once they reach age 62, and survivor benefits if something happens to you.
If you receive both SSI and SSDI (concurrent benefits), your SSDI isn't affected by marriage, but your SSI portion is subject to all the marriage penalty rules described above. Your spouse's income will be deemed against your SSI, and the couple resource and payment limits will apply.
Strategies for Navigating the Marriage Penalty
Given the financial realities of the marriage penalty, couples have developed various strategies to protect their wellbeing while building lives together.
Run the numbers before deciding. Before getting married, calculate exactly how your benefits would change. Consider both the reduction in the SSI payment rate and the impact of any income deeming. A benefits counselor can help you understand your specific situation.
Consider the full picture. While the financial penalty is real, marriage also provides legal protections that aren't available to unmarried couples: inheritance rights, healthcare decision-making authority, hospital visitation rights, protection if the relationship ends, and access to a spouse's employer benefits like health insurance. For some couples, these benefits outweigh the SSI reduction.
Explore ABLE accounts. If either partner qualifies for an ABLE account (disability onset before age 26), you can save up to $100,000 without it counting toward SSI resource limits. This provides a way to build financial security despite the $3,000 couple resource limit.
Maximize other benefits. Look into all programs you might qualify for as a couple, including SNAP (food assistance), Medicaid, housing assistance, and utility assistance programs. These programs have different income limits and may help offset lost SSI.
Stay informed about potential reforms. Disability advocacy organizations have pushed for marriage penalty reform for years. While no changes have been enacted yet, staying connected to these organizations can help you learn about any future changes.
Don't hide your marriage. Some couples consider simply not reporting their marriage to Social Security. This is fraud and can result in serious consequences, including repayment of all benefits received, penalties, and potential criminal charges. It's not worth the risk.
The Bigger Picture
The SSI marriage penalty reflects an outdated view of marriage and disability that doesn't match the reality of how modern couples support each other. Two people with disabilities don't magically need less combined support just because they formalized their relationship. And a working spouse doesn't automatically have enough extra income to replace SSI benefits while covering their own needs.
Until policy changes, couples navigating these rules have to make difficult personal decisions. Some choose to marry despite the financial hit, valuing the legal and emotional benefits of marriage. Others remain legally unmarried while building lives together. There's no right answer—only the choice that works best for your unique situation.
Making informed decisions about your benefits requires understanding your full financial picture. Purple offers checking accounts designed specifically for people on SSI and SSDI, with tools to help you track your resources and plan for whatever life brings—including love.