What No One Tells You About Managing Money on SSI: Why the Right Disability Bank Account Matters

Living on Supplemental Security Income (SSI) isn’t just about stretching every dollar — it’s about following rules most people don’t even know exist.

The $2,000 asset limit. Income reporting requirements. Paperwork you didn’t ask for. And if you mess up? Your benefits can vanish overnight.

That’s why choosing the right disability bank account isn’t just convenient — it’s essential.

The Hidden Rules of SSI

To keep your SSI, you need to:

• Stay under the $2,000 resource limit ($3,000 for couples)

• Track any income you earn from work, even part-time

• Save receipts and proof of spending in case SSA audits your account

• Avoid certain types of deposits that might trigger a review

Most bank accounts do nothing to help with this. They assume you’re not on benefits — and that your only goal is saving or spending more.

But for people on SSI, it’s about staying compliant and staying safe.

Why Traditional Bank Accounts Don’t Cut It

Here’s where most banks fall short:

• No alerts when you’re close to the asset limit

• No way to track income against SSA thresholds

• No document storage or receipt capture

• No support for ABLE accounts or QDEs

• No understanding of the financial realities of living with a disability

It’s not just a bad user experience. It’s a risk to your benefits.

What the Right Disability Bank Account Should Do

If you’re on SSI, here’s what your bank account should help you with:

• Real-time balance tracking

• Direct deposit support for Social Security benefits

• Spending insights to avoid overspending

• Income monitoring to stay under SGA or reporting limits

• Secure storage of SSA documents and receipts

• ABLE account integration for benefit-safe saving

Why Purple Is Built for This

Purple is a modern disability bank account created for one purpose: to help people with disabilities manage their money and keep their benefits safe.

With Purple, you can:

• Receive SSI or SSDI, which may arrive up to 4 days early¹

• Get paychecks and other deposits, which may arrive up to 2 days early¹

• Track your balance against the $2,000 limit

• Store SSA letters, income reports, and receipts in-app

• (Coming soon) Open and manage your ABLE account directly from Purple

Get started today at withpurple.com

Purple is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services are provided by OMB Bank, Member FDIC. The Purple Mastercard® Debit Card is issued by OMB Bank, Member FDIC, pursuant to license from Mastercard.

¹ Early access is not guaranteed, depends on payer timing, and standard processing times may apply. We generally make funds available on the day we receive the payment file, which may be up to 4 days early for government benefits like SSI or SSDI, and up to 2 days early for other deposits. Early access is available at no additional cost.