Explanation of Food Stamp Program Rules Regarding SSI/SSP Recipients in California.

Recipients of Social Security Income (SSI) and the California State Supplement to SSI (SSP) are not eligible for Food Stamps. This policy is related to the fact that SSI recipients in California receive some of the highest State Supplemental Program (SSP) payments in the country. While an SSI recipient is not eligible, his/her household members may be. It is important, therefore, to use a screening tool to determine if a household with an SSI recipient may still have other potentially eligible members.

Please Note: SSI is different from Social Security or Social Security Disability; recipients of those programs are not categorically excluded from the Food Stamp Program. Click here to learn more about how these programs are different and about other safety-net programs that serve low-income populations in California.

Other Food Support for SSI/SSP Recipients: Many community based outreach workers encounter SSI households who are food insecure, housing insecure or homeless. Some of these SSI/SSP recipients in California may be eligible to receive a suplemental payment if they do not have access to a working kitchen. Click here to download a copy of this application; it must be turned into the Social Security office.

The following resources will help you understand SSI and how it intersects with the Food Stamp Program:

Explanation of the SSI Program http://www.dss.cahwnet.gov/cdssweb/Supplement_176.htm

History of SSI Cash-out policy in California, by USDA
http://www.fns.usda.gov/fsp/rules/Legislation/history.htm

Explanation of SSI Cash-out by California Food Policy Advocates
www.cfpa.net/CashoutinCA2003.pdf

Findings about SSI Cash-out by the Social Security Administration
http://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/rulings/ssi/07/SSR79-09-ssi-07.html

Discussion about how SSI Cash-out impacts California's Food Stamp participation rate
http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2003/12/23_usda.shtml

Information about Children Receiving SSI 2005 http://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/statcomps/ssi_children/2005/index.html

All County Letters pertaining to SSI Cash-out
http://www.dss.cahwnet.gov/getinfo/acl75/75-153.pdf

California Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) report on proposed SSI/SSP Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) Adjustments for Budget Year 05-06http://www.lao.ca.gov/analysis_2005/Health_ss/hss_14_ssissp_anl05.htm

Statistics about California's Elderly Population, Income Sources and SSI/SSP Usage http://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/statcomps/income_pop55/2004/index.html

2005 SSI Usage By California County http://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/statcomps/ssi_sc/2005/ca.html

Information about SSI State Supplemental Programs and Payment Amounts http://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/progdesc/ssi_st_asst/2006/