Social Security

Retention Date: 01/09/2025
Summary of Changes: This EM replaces a prior updated version issued on 4/13/2023. We made the following changes:
Section A: Provided information about the end of the Presidentially declared disaster. In addition, removed the instruction to hold cases involving unemployment, state stimulus payments, and remaining Federal Economic Impact Payments (EIPs) resulting from the CARES Act, as the hold no longer applies.
Section C: Minor edit.

A. Purpose

This emergency message (EM) provides guidance on the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) income and resource treatment of common types of assistance individuals may receive or have received due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Presidentially declared disaster ended effective May 11, 2023. We will continue to update this EM with COVID-19-related financial assistance.

B. Background

On March 27, 2020, the President signed into law the “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act” ( CARES Act ), Public Law 116-136 . The CARES Act provided for several types of assistance due to COVID-19. On December 27, 2020, the President signed into law the “Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021” ( CAA ), Public Law 116-260 . The CAA provided extensions and additional funding to several of these pandemic assistance programs and authorized several new programs. On March 11, 2021, the President signed into law the “American Rescue Plan Act of 2021” ( ARPA ), Public law 117-2 . The ARPA also provides extensions and additional funding to several of these pandemic assistance programs and authorized several new programs.

C . Pandemic Assistance Types and Processing Instructions

We have identified many types of pandemic assistance, and the list will likely continue to grow. Some assistance types are excluded from income and resources – for all individuals involved in the computation of benefits (including deemors and ineligible children) – according to existing disaster assistance rules. We have divided pandemic assistance programs into two charts, those programs that meet all the criteria to be considered disaster assistance and those that do not. Follow the links in the charts below for processing instructions.

1. Pandemic-Related Assistance that meets criteria for disaster assistance exclusions

Second Round: Payment levels were up to:
$600 for individuals, $1,200 for couples filing jointly, and an additional $600 per qualifying child.

Third Round: Payment levels were up to:
$1,400 for individuals, $2,800 for couples filing jointly, and an additional $1,400 per qualifying child.

Two examples that provided for increased unemployment amounts over and above regular unemployment were:

· $600 per week beginning March 2020 and ending with payments after July 31, 2020 (CARES Act);
· $300 per week beginning after December 26, 2020 and ending on or before March 14, 2021 (CAA); and
· $300 per week and continuing through the statutory end date of September 6, 2021 (ARPA).

The pandemic period is defined in EM-21050 REV 5 B.4.

Follow special processing instructions in EM-21050 REV 5 to document income and resource exclusions.

IMPORTANT: Some previously reported Tribal payment(s) paid since March 27, 2020, that were funded by the COVID Relief Fund, may have been counted as unearned income and resources.

Refer any State stimulus programs not listed below to your regional office contacts.

The following are pandemic related disaster assistance excluded from income and resources.
•CALIFORNIA: Golden State Stimulus I payments; Golden State Stimulus II payments; and Golden State Grant Program payments
•MARYLAND: Stimulus payments for Earned Income Tax Credit filers
•NEW MEXICO: Tax rebates for recipients of the Working Families Tax Credit

· Prevents aging out of foster care during the pandemic before October 21, 2021;
· Allows re-entry to foster care for any youth who age out during the pandemic;
· Allows states and tribes to provide Section 477 of title IV-E, services and assistance to eligible youth until age 27 for FYs 2020 and 2021 (10/1/19-9/30/21);
· Allows States and Tribes to use Section 477 of title IV-E room and board amounts for otherwise eligible youth who are aged 18-26 and experienced foster care at age 14 or older.
· Allows States and Tribes to provide an otherwise eligible youth aged 15- 26 with up to $4,000 per year in Section 477 of title IV-E funds for driving and transportation assistance

· Up to 12 months of tuition and fees, and
· A monthly housing allowance based on Post-9/11 GI Bill rates.

· Outreach, financial training, cooperative development and capacity building, and other technical assistance to socially disadvantaged groups;
· Grants and loans to improve land access, including heirs’ property issues, and aid former farm loan borrowers that suffered adverse actions or past discrimination or bias;
· The creation and activities of equity commissions; and,
· Research, education, and extension activities at minority serving institutions, including scholarships, internships, and pathways to Federal employment for students; eligible institutions include 1890 Land-Grant Institutions, 1994 Tribal Land-Grant Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and Insular Area Institutions.

1. Households who claimed dependents 17 years or older in their 2019 taxes,
2. Domestic workers, and
3. Undocumented residents.
· Adults 18-24 years old; and
· Adults 62 years old and older.