The budget package making its way through Congress now provides an excellent opportunity for advocates to ensure that long-sought improvements to the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program come to fruition. National aging and disability advocates, including Justice in Aging, are pushing for much-needed updates to SSI in the final budget package expected to be passed through the reconciliation process, including raising the benefit level, increasing the asset limit, and more. 

If Congress takes action to rebuild the long-neglected SSI program, it will help older adults and people with disabilities who are currently living at or near poverty. And, unlike Social Security Retirement, Disability, and Survivors benefits, which cannot be passed through reconciliation due to “Byrd rule” restrictions, Congress can change SSI through reconciliation with a simple majority vote. 

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities recently wrote about the need for lawmakers to expand and simplify SSI and Dylan Matthews at Vox stressed the importance of including SSI in the next package.

We urge advocates to sign on to an open letter to Congress using ResistBot to make your voices heard on the issue of rebuilding SSI. You can also text SSINOW to 50409 or call 202-224-3121.