Pennsylvania and SSI

• Although you may be a citizen of the state of Pennsylvania, you may only qualify to receive Social Security benefits if you meet federal requirements. The level of income you are required to have to qualify to receive SSI benefits and the level of income you need to maintain to be able to keep these benefits is also established by the federal government, whether or not you live in Pennsylvania. However, once you qualify to receive SSI benefits, the state of Pennsylvania provides an extra monthly payment additional to the federal SSI amount. This additional payment is also administered by the Social Security office in Pennsylvania, although it comes from state funds.
  
  

Income Level

• The same level of income you must have to qualify for SSI benefits is the same level of income you must maintain to continue receiving these benefits. As of the time of publication, to qualify for SSI benefits if you are disabled or blind, you must not earn more than $1,000 per month. To qualify to receive SSI benefits based on your age instead of your medical condition, your income cannot exceed $1,433 if you are single and $2,107 if you are married. However, not all income you receive in a month counts to determine whether you qualify. Only your countable income affects your eligibility to receive SSI benefits. Countable income is all the income you receive minus allowable deductions that the Social Security Administration makes.
  
  

Noncountable Income

• The Social Security website provides a list with the income you may have that does not affect your eligibility to receive SSI benefits. According to the Social Security publication "Understanding Supplemental Security Income SSI Income," income that does not count includes the first $20 of most income you receive, the first $65 you receive from your job and half of the income you receive from your job after the first $65 has been deducted, as well as scholarships, grants, food stamps, income tax refunds and home energy assistance.
  
  

SSI Pennsylvania Amount

• If you live in Pennsylvania, you receive higher SSI benefits than the maximum federal amount because the State of Pennsylvania adds an extra payment. According to the Social Security publication "Supplemental Security Income (SSI) In Pennsylvania," as of the time of publication, if you qualify to receive SSI benefits in Pennsylvania and live alone, you can receive up to $674, and if you are married, you can receive up to $1,011. If you live in someone else's household and you are single, you can receive up to $449.34, and if you are living in someone else's house but you are married, you can receive up to $674 per month. The exact amount you receive varies according to your total income.