If you receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), you've probably heard about the resource limit—but understanding exactly what counts (and what doesn't) can be the difference between keeping your benefits and losing them unexpectedly.
In this article, we'll cover:
- What the SSI resource limit is and how much you can have
- Which assets count as resources in SSA's eyes
- Which assets are exempt and don't count
- How SSA checks your resources and when it matters
- What happens if you go over the limit
- Strategies to stay compliant without living on the edge
The Current SSI Resource Limit
As of 2026, the SSI resource limit is $2,000 for individuals and $3,000 for married couples. These limits have not changed since 1989—over 35 years—despite decades of inflation. Advocacy groups have pushed for updates, but for now, these are the numbers you need to work with.
SSA checks your countable resources on the first day of each month. If your countable resources exceed the limit on that date, you're ineligible for SSI for that entire month. It doesn't matter if you were under the limit every other day—what matters is your balance on the first.
What Counts as a Resource
In SSA's definition, a resource is anything you own that could be converted to cash and used for food or shelter. The most common countable resources include cash on hand, money in checking or savings accounts, stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, non-exempt real estate (like a second property or vacant land), and personal property that exceeds certain value thresholds.
If you and your spouse both receive SSI, your combined resources are evaluated together against the $3,000 couple limit. SSA may also "deem" some resources from a spouse, parent, or sponsor as belonging to you, depending on your living situation.
What Doesn't Count
Not everything you own counts against the limit, and understanding the exempt categories is crucial for managing your finances. Your primary home does not count, regardless of its value, as long as you live in it. One vehicle is generally exempt, household goods and personal effects are excluded, life insurance policies with a face value of $1,500 or less don't count, and burial funds up to $1,500 per person (for you and your spouse) are also exempt.
Importantly, money held in an ABLE account is exempt up to $100,000 for SSI purposes. This is one of the most powerful tools available to SSI recipients who want to save money without jeopardizing their benefits.
Property that you're actively trying to sell may also be temporarily excluded if you sign an agreement with SSA to sell it, though you'll need to repay any SSI benefits received during that period once the sale is complete.
What Happens If You Go Over
If your countable resources exceed the limit on the first of the month, your SSI benefit is suspended for that month. You won't receive a payment, and if SSA discovers the overage later, they may also determine that you were overpaid for previous months and ask for repayment.
If you remain over the resource limit for 12 consecutive months, your SSI eligibility may be terminated entirely, meaning you'd have to reapply from scratch to get benefits again. That's a much harder situation to recover from than a single month of suspension, so catching and correcting resource issues quickly is critical.
How to Stay Compliant
The most important habit you can build is monitoring your bank balance around the end and beginning of each month. Since SSA checks your resources on the first, you want to make sure any large deposits (like back pay, tax refunds, or gifts) don't push you over the limit on that specific date.
If you receive a lump sum, you generally have nine months to spend down SSI back pay without it counting against your resource limit. For other windfalls—like an inheritance or gift—the clock starts immediately, and you'll need to spend down or shelter the funds quickly.
Consider opening an ABLE account if you're eligible. It allows you to save up to $100,000 for disability-related expenses without affecting your SSI eligibility, and the money can be used for housing, transportation, education, assistive technology, and more.
Don't let an outdated $2,000 rule derail your benefits. Purple helps SSI recipients track their resources in real time, so you always know where you stand before the first of the month.