SSI Wage Reporting: What Income Must You Report to Social Security?

SSI Wage Reporting: If you get Supplemental Security Income (SSI), you must report any changes in your income or life to the Social Security Administration (SSA). This is not optional it’s the law. If you don’t report changes on time, your benefits could be cut, you might have to pay money back, or your payments could stop for a while.

What Changes Do You Need to Report?

You must tell Social Security about any money you earn, whether from a job, your own business, or help from others. Some updates must be reported every month, while others only once a year. If something in your life changes like where you live, who you live with, or how much money you have you must report that too.

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Every month, you must report:

• Wages from employment
• Child support received
• Unemployment benefits

Annually (by January 10):

• Total self-employment income from the previous year

Immediately after changes:

• Cash received from friends or relatives
• Pensions or retirement benefits
• Lottery or gambling winnings
• Revised self-employment income estimates
• Any shifts in income from any source

If you’re married or applying for a child, your spouse’s or parents’ income and resources must also be reported.

How to Report Changes to Social Security

You can report your income and updates in different ways:

• Use the SSA’s Mobile App (available on Apple App Store and Google Play).
• Call the Automated Wage Reporting System anytime at 1-866-772-0953.
• For other changes, call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (or TTY 1-800-325-0778) Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 7 PM.

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You must report any changes no later than 10 days after the month ends.

What Happens If You Don’t Report Changes?

If you don’t tell Social Security about changes, you could get too much money—and you’ll have to pay it back. You could also be fined.

The SSA says: “We may overpay you and you may have to pay us back. We may apply a penalty that will reduce your SSI payment by 25 to 100 for each time you fail to report a change.”

If you lie or hide information on purpose, your benefits could stop for six months the first time. If it happens again, you could lose benefits for 12 or even 24 months.

To avoid problems, always tell Social Security as soon as something changes. This way, you’ll get the right amount of money every month.