Social Security Administration (SSA)

The Social Security Administration (SSA) manages the Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs. Social Security provides a monthly income for eligible retired persons, surviving spouses and family members, and the disabled. SSI supplements Social Security payments for aged, blind, and disabled people with little or no income. It provides cash to meet basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter. Information on eligibility, coverage, and how to apply for benefits and file a claim is available from SSA. The SSA has a new Compassionate Allowances initiative that allows Social Security to target the most obviously disabled individuals for allowances based on objective medical information that can be obtained quickly. Information on the initiative and a list of qualifying conditions are available at the Web site located in the Additional Resources section below. Information on the SSA Web site is available in Spanish and in many other languages.