Household Income Calculations for SSI

What is Deemed Income for SSI Purposes?

In some circumstances, Social Security will consider the income of the other people living with you when calculating your income (a process called "deeming"). If you live with a spouse who doesn't receive SSI, part of your spouse's income will be included in your countable income—but the agency will use the federal benefit rate for couples ($1,491 in 2026) as your income limit instead of the lower individual limit.

How the Deemed Income from Spouse affect your SSI?

Tax Year:
STEP 1	Unearned Income from Ineligible Spouse
	Allocation for ineligible children


	(-) Total unnetted allocation for all ineligible children
	= Balance of Unearned Income
	Earned income for ineligible spouse
	(-) Unallocated allocation for ineligible children
	Total income after allocations
STEP 2	Deamed unearned Income from Ineligible Spouse
	Unearned income for eligible spouse
	Total Unearned income
	(-) General Income Exclusion (GIE)
	= Countable Unearned Income
STEP 3	Deamed Earned Income from eligible Spouse
	Earned Income for eligible spouse
	= Total Earned Income
	(-) Student Earned Income Exclusion (SEIE)
	Remainder 1
	(-) Individual Development Account(IDA) contribution
	Remainder 2
	(-) Unused GIE (if any)
	Remainder 3
	(-) Earned Income Exclusion (EIE) $65
	Remainder 4
	(-) Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE)
	Remainder 5
	= Divide by 2
	Remainder 6
	(-) Blind Work Expenses (BWE)
	Countable Earned Income
STEP 4	Total Countable Income
	(-) PASS deduction
	Countable Income
STEP 5	SSI Federal Benefit Rate
	Adjusted SSI Payment