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What do I need to report if I get SSI?
The Social Security Administration (SSA) asks you to report changes that may affect your SSI eligibility or payment. That does not mean every change will alter your benefit; SSA applies the rules to your circumstances. Report the event and let SSA determine its effect.
Income, resources, and benefits
- Income: Report wages, self-employment income, and unearned income. Examples include child support, unemployment benefits, pensions, cash from friends or relatives, and lottery or gambling winnings. Report changes to self-employment estimates as well.
- Resources: Report acquiring, selling, or transferring resources and changes in their value. SSA gives bank accounts, account balances, and things you own as examples.
- Other benefits: Report becoming eligible for other benefits or payments.
Income or resources belonging to a spouse, parent, or another person may matter in some SSI cases under deeming rules. For example, a spouse living with you or a parent of a child receiving SSI may have income SSA considers. Tell SSA about relevant household changes rather than assuming only your own income counts.
Address, household, and living arrangements
- Report a change in your home or mailing address.
- Report people moving into or out of your household, changes in living arrangements, or help you receive with living expenses.
- Report marriage, separation, divorce, other changes in marital status, and the death of a household member.
Status, travel, school, and institutions
- Report a change in citizenship or immigration status. In relevant noncitizen cases, sponsor or sponsor’s spouse changes in income, resources, or living arrangements may matter.
- Report admission to or discharge from a hospital, nursing home, correctional institution, or other institution.
- If you are under 22, report changes in school attendance.
- Report leaving the United States for a full calendar month or for 30 consecutive days or more.
- Report an unsatisfied felony or arrest warrant for escape from custody, flight to avoid prosecution or confinement, or flight-escape.
Disability-related work and program changes
If you have a disability, report medical improvement; starting or stopping work; changes in pay or hours; a change in Ticket to Work status; and changes in work or Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) expenses.
When do I report wages and other changes?
Wages and other changes have different reporting routines. SSA’s reporting-responsibilities guidance says to report changes as soon as possible and no later than 10 days after the end of the month in which the change occurred. Its operating policy specifies 10 calendar days after that month. See SSA’s 2026 reporting-responsibilities guidance and POMS SI 02301.005.
| What you are reporting | When to report |
|---|---|
| Wages | Report monthly wages by the sixth day of the month after you receive them. SSA’s October 1, 2026 information page describes the tenth as the deadline and encourages reporting by the sixth to help reduce overpayments. Use the sixth-day target; if your pay schedule is irregular or you are unsure which deadline applies, ask SSA. |
| Other income changes | SSA’s wage instructions say to report by the tenth day of the month after the change. |
| Other changes, such as address, resources, or living arrangements | As soon as possible, and no later than 10 days after the end of the month in which the change happened. |
| Self-employment income | SSA’s wage instructions say to report it yearly by January 10. |
For example, if your wages arrive in September, report them by October 6. For a non-wage change that happens in September, report it promptly and no later than 10 days after September ends. The SSA pages describe wage timing in slightly different ways, so use the earlier sixth-day wage target and contact SSA if you need case-specific instructions.
Who is responsible for reporting?
SSI recipients or their representative payees must report changes that may affect SSI. SSA says a representative payee must report the recipient’s earnings and relevant changes in income, resources, address, living arrangements, and return to work. A payee may also be asked to file an annual accounting report explaining how benefits were spent or saved. See SSA’s SSI earnings reporting spotlight and representative payee guide.
If you have a payee, coordinate with them so the report is made on time. If you are the payee, tell SSA about changes affecting the beneficiary; do not assume the beneficiary’s report alone has taken care of your responsibility.
How do I report changes to SSA?
For wages
SSA lists these wage-reporting methods: a my Social Security account, the Mobile Wage Reporting app, and automated telephone reporting. SSA also describes employer wage transmission through its Payroll Information Exchange (PIE) program. The October 1, 2026 instructions say to keep using your current reporting method until SSA notifies you that PIE reporting has started. Contact SSA before using automated wage reporting and after changing employers to provide employer information and its EIN, as applicable. See SSA’s October 1, 2026 wage-reporting information.
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For other changes
Call SSA at 1-800-772-1213 or TTY 1-800-325-0778, or contact a local Social Security office. SSA’s SSI reporting page also explains how to submit documents with an explanation and identifying and contact information.
Keep a record of your report
Keep copies of pay statements and relevant documents, and note when and how you reported a change. Save any confirmation you receive. These records can help you answer questions if SSA needs more information.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What happens if I report late or fail to report?
Late or inaccurate reporting can lead to an underpayment, delayed payment, or an overpayment SSA may require you to repay. SSA says it may reduce SSI by $25 to $100 for each failure to report a change or each late report; that is a possible consequence, not an automatic penalty in every case. See SSA’s SSI reporting responsibilities FAQ.
SSA also describes payment withholding sanctions for knowingly making false or misleading statements or knowingly failing to report important changes: six months for an initial sanction, then 12 months, then 24 months for subsequent sanctions. SSA’s FAQ warns that intentionally withholding information to continue receiving payments may also lead to criminal prosecution. These consequences concern knowing conduct; a late report does not by itself establish that someone acted knowingly.
What to do if you are unsure
- Report a change promptly if it could affect your income, resources, household, or eligibility.
- For wages, aim to report by the sixth day of the month after you receive them, and verify your reporting setup with SSA—especially after changing employers.
- Tell SSA about relevant household members or help with living expenses so it can decide whether deeming rules apply.
- Keep your report records and respond to requests for information.
This guidance is specific to SSI. It does not establish reporting rules for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or other programs. For a decision about your case or the method you should use, contact SSA.
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