Confused about SSI rules - does parent support for adult child reduce benefits?

You're confusing two different concepts. SSI has rules about both living arrangements AND support. When they ask if you're providing half support, they're determining if your son meets the definition of a 'child' for certain SSA purposes, even though he's over 18. This is different from the rules about 'in-kind support and maintenance' (ISM) which can reduce the SSI payment. If you directly pay for his food and shelter, that can count as ISM and reduce his SSI. But providing other types of support (medical costs, clothing, etc.) doesn't automatically reduce SSI. The 'half support' question is often used for parent-child relationship verification for various SSA purposes.

my daughter gets SSI too and I remember this queston. its super confuzing cuz they don't explain it good!! the half support thing is for tax purposes i think? not the same as the living arrangment stuff that can reduce the payment. our casworker told us they're 2 seperate things

This is a common area of confusion. Let me clarify: 1. The 'providing at least half support' question relates to dependency status for certain benefit eligibility determinations. 2. This is entirely separate from the In-Kind Support and Maintenance (ISM) rules that can reduce SSI payments. 3. Support includes food, shelter, clothing, medical care, education, etc. 4. ISM reductions only apply to food and shelter provided to the recipient. So yes, you might be providing half support even though some of that support could reduce SSI via ISM rules. They're separate considerations used for different purposes within SSA's complex regulatory framework.

I had a similar issue with my brother's SSI application last year. After hours on the phone with SSA (seriously, like 5+ hours of waiting), I found out that the "half support" question is for determining dependency relationships for certain benefits, while reductions due to living arrangements are calculated separately. Have you tried using Claimyr to get through to an agent faster? I discovered it after my nightmare wait times - claimyr.com helped me get through to a real SSA representative in under 20 minutes instead of hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Definitely worth it for complicated questions like this where you need a clear explanation specific to your situation.

Its actually pretty simple once you understand it. The half support question is DIFFERENT from the living arrangment rules. If u buy food, that counts as both support AND can reduce SSI. But if you buy clothes, medicine, pay for haircuts, phone bill, those all count as SUPPORT but don't reduce SSI payments. So you could easily be providing half support even with full SSI payments if your supporting in ways besides just food and shelter.

I think were ALL missing something here! When they ask if your providing half support, they're trying to TRAP you into admitting your helping your son so they can CUT his benefits!!!! My cousin answered yes to this and they immediately cut his SSI by $200!!! Don't fall for their tricks!

To add some concrete examples that might help: 1. If your son's monthly expenses total $1,500 and you provide $800 worth of support (including non-ISM items like clothing, medical expenses not covered by insurance, recreation, etc.), you would be providing more than half support. 2. Of that $800 support, perhaps only $400 is for food and shelter (ISM), which might reduce his SSI payment according to those rules. 3. The remaining $400 of support (clothing, medical, etc.) doesn't affect his SSI payment at all. So you can truthfully answer YES to providing half support while understanding that only certain types of support (food and shelter) impact the monthly payment amount.

wait now im confused again lol... does anyone know if paying for internet and phone counts as the kind of support that reduces SSI? my daughters caseworker gave me different answers on different days

Thank you all so much for the helpful explanations! I think I understand now - when answering the 'half support' question, I should include everything I provide (housing, food, clothing, medical expenses, recreation, etc.), but only the food and housing part might reduce his SSI through the ISM rules. I'm going to call SSA tomorrow with a much better understanding of what they're asking. This forum has been incredibly helpful when the official explanations were so confusing!

Just wanted to add that it's worth documenting everything you provide as support - keep receipts for medical expenses, clothing, entertainment, etc. Not just for the half-support question, but also because SSA might ask for proof later. I learned this the hard way when they requested documentation months after my initial application. Also, if your son has a representative payee situation, that can affect how some of these support calculations work, so mention that to the caseworker if it applies to your situation.