The Modernize SSI Stipends Act increases cash payments for institutionalized individuals and couples receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI), a federal program that provides financial assistance to elderly, blind, and disabled people with limited income. The bill doubles the minimum monthly personal needs allowances—from $360 to $720 for individuals and from $720 to $1,440 for couples—effective January 1, 2026. These increased amounts will also be eligible for annual cost-of-living adjustments going forward, ensuring the payments keep pace with inflation. Additionally, the bill requires states that provide supplementary SSI payments to pass through the full amount of any federal cost-of-living increases to beneficiaries, updating state payment formulas to reflect these changes. The legislation directly benefits institutionalized SSI recipients, who receive these personal needs allowances while living in care facilities, by nearly doubling their monthly cash assistance.
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