SSI Eligibility

• The programs through the Social Security Administration receive a portion of their funding from payroll taxes deducted from employee paycheck's during a person's time in the workforce. This funding aspect accounts for the work history requirement needed for eligibility in the Disability Income program. In Pennsylvania -- as well as most U.S. territories -- financial need serves as the main eligibility criteria for SSI benefits. Eligible applicants fall into one or more of three categories: people over the age of 65, people affected by blindness and disabled individuals.
  
  

Disability Requirements

• A person's capacity for work plays a pivotal role in determining eligibility for Social Security benefits. A person's disability must impair his ability to perform within any type of work role on a regular basis. In effect, Social Security acts as a "last resort" option when it comes to providing disability benefits. Eligible disabilities include the more severe conditions of a physical or mental nature. Eligible conditions must last for a year or longer to quality for SSI benefit assistance. People suffering from blindness must fall within the category of statutory blindness with a visual acuity range of 20/200 or less when using corrective lenses.
  
  

Assets & Resources

• The SSI program relies as much on state government funding as it does on the federal government since financial need determines applicant eligibility. To help those most in need, SSI program guidelines limit the amount of assets and resources a person can have to qualify for assistance. And while Pennsylvania has its own cost of living rates, the SSI program uses federal guidelines to determine asset and resource limits. Eligible applicants must have less than $2,000 in assets and resources, which does not include the value of a person's home or car. Types of assets and resources include wage earnings, benefit entitlements, life insurance or anything that can convert into cash money.
  
  

Payment Amounts

• Once a person becomes eligible for SSI benefits, Pennsylvania's state government calculates monthly payment amounts according to cost of living rates within the state. According to Social Security Online, eligible applicants living in their own residence receive $640 a month for a single person and $1,011 for married couples, at the time of publication. People who live with family or friends receive $449.34 a month for a single person and $674 for couples. Monthly payment amounts also vary based on other types of living arrangements, such as personal care boarding homes, nursing homes and hospice-type or domiciliary care. The state of Pennsylvania also contributes a supplement benefit amount for all SSI recipients that's included with the standard monthly amount. In 2010, this supplement amount ranged from $22.00 to $400 depending on a person's living arrangements, according to WorkWorld's employment reference site.