SSI maximum benefits for adult son with Down Syndrome - what housing expense ratio qualifies?

This is definitely one of the more confusing aspects of SSI. Your son is likely receiving a reduced amount because of what's called the "one-third reduction rule." Basically, if SSA determines he's living in your household and not paying his fair share of expenses, they reduce his benefit by about 1/3. To get the full Federal Benefit Rate (FBR), he needs to pay what SSA considers his "pro-rata share" of household expenses. That means if there are 3 people in the household, he should be paying 1/3 of the rent/mortgage, food, and utilities. You need to document these payments carefully - preferably with canceled checks or electronic transfers rather than cash. Keep in mind he also needs to be using his own money for these expenses - not just redistributing the SSI funds you receive on his behalf.

We went thru this with my daughter!!!! Its SO FRUSTRATING. We had to do a "rental agreement" even tho she lives with us and they STILL didn't give her the full amount for like 8 months!!!! You need to get something in writing and keep EVERY receipt. They told us she needed to pay "fair market value" but never explained what that meant exactly????

I work as a benefits counselor for people with developmental disabilities. Here's what you need to know: 1. The "one-third reduction rule" applies when someone lives in another person's household and receives both food and shelter from them without paying fair market value. 2. To avoid this reduction, your son needs to pay his fair share of household expenses. This doesn't necessarily mean exactly 1/3 if you have 3 people - it means his proportional share based on the number of people in the household. 3. You have two potential approaches: - Have him pay his pro-rata share of actual household expenses (divide total household costs by number of household members) - Create a formal rental agreement at fair market value for a room in your area 4. Document everything with a paper trail - checks, electronic transfers, receipts. 5. Request a "PMV determination" (Presumed Maximum Value) from SSA where they'll calculate exactly what he should pay. The maximum SSI federal benefit in 2025 is $944, and some states add supplements to this amount.

To answer your follow-up question, you can request a PMV determination any time - you don't need to wait for the annual review. Just contact your local SSA office and specifically ask for this calculation. Regarding the rental agreement approach versus pro-rata share of expenses, there are pros and cons to both: Rental Agreement approach: - Pros: Cleaner documentation, less ongoing calculation needed - Cons: Must be at fair market value (which might be higher than his benefit amount), and SSA might scrutinize if it seems artificially created just to maximize benefits Pro-rata share approach: - Pros: Often results in a lower total amount he needs to pay, more clearly follows SSA guidelines - Cons: Requires more detailed recordkeeping as expenses change month to month For most families, the pro-rata approach works better because the total amount is typically lower than market rent for a room.

my brother has disabilities and gets SSI to, we just have him pay a flat $600 for everything and he gets full benefits. i think its more about showing that hes paying something consistent rather than the exact amount tbh

I've been helping folks navigate SSI for years, and this question comes up constantly. Here's a simplified explanation: The SSA has two rules that might be reducing your son's SSI: 1. The "one-third reduction rule" - applies when someone lives in another person's household and receives food and shelter for free 2. The "presumed maximum value rule" (PMV) - applies when someone gets food and shelter from others but pays something (just not their full share) If you want to maximize his SSI, you need to ensure he's paying his full pro-rata share of household expenses. For a household of 3, that's generally 1/3 of: - Rent/mortgage - Property taxes/insurance (if not in mortgage) - Utilities (electricity, gas, water, garbage) - Food Creating a simple spreadsheet showing these calculations and keeping proof of payment (bank transfers work best) will help tremendously during reviews. The most common mistake I see is families not including ALL household expenses in their calculations, which makes the pro-rata share lower than it should be.

Yes, you can generally include internet as a utility since it's considered an essential service nowadays. Phone bills are trickier - if it's a shared family plan, you can include his portion. For property taxes, absolutely include those if you pay them separately from your mortgage. Additional household expenses you might be overlooking: - Home maintenance costs - Household supplies (cleaning products, toilet paper, etc.) - Home insurance Keep in mind that even with perfect documentation, dealing with SSA can be incredibly frustrating. They're chronically understaffed and caseworkers can be inconsistent in how they apply the rules.

Everyone here is overthinking this... just have ur son pay "rent" by writing a check each month and depositing it back in his account later if u don't actually need the $. That's what my cousin does with her disabled daughter. SSA doesn't track where the money goes after he pays u.

Thank you everyone for all this helpful information! I'm going to create a spreadsheet tracking ALL household expenses and calculate his 1/3 share. I'll make sure to include property taxes, home insurance, and internet that I wasn't counting before. I'll also set up bank transfers instead of the cash payments we've been doing. I think I need to contact our local office to request that PMV determination so we can get an official calculation. If I have trouble getting through to them, I might try that Claimyr service since it sounds like it could save a lot of time. It's frustrating that SSA makes this so complicated, but I'm determined to make sure my son gets his full benefit. He deserves it, and every dollar makes a difference in his quality of life.