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No. The Social Security Administration (SSA) announced in August 2021 that pandemic-related economic impact payments, popularly known as stimulus checks, will no longer be counted as income in determining eligibility or calculating benefit amounts for Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
This change is retroactive. Social Security says it will restore SSI payments for recipients whose benefits were reduced or terminated because they received stimulus payments before the rule change.
The issue arises from the role income plays in eligibility for Supplemental Security Income, a need-based benefit for older and disabled people with very limited financial resources. The SSA administers the program. More than 5 million people were receiving monthly SSI benefits as of October 2022, a million of them 65 and older.
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To qualify for SSI, your income must not exceed strict caps the SSA sets and adjusts annually for inflation. The rules encompass both work earnings and money from other sources, such as government benefits or help from family members. If you are above the limit, you cannot get SSI in most cases. If you're below, you may qualify for SSI, but your monthly payment may be reduced by a portion of your income.
Not all income, however, is "countable” for SSI purposes. The SSA exempts a share of earnings from employment and some types of government aid. These exclusions now include the $1,200, $600 and $1,400 payments delivered to most Americans as part of the three economic-relief packages Congress has approved during the coronavirus pandemic.
