Social Security

Today, U.S. Representatives Danny K. Davis (D-IL) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) introduced the SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act to reform the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, which has not been updated in 40 years. Currently, the program unfairly punishes lower-income seniors and people with disabilities for saving responsibly for emergencies or their futures. A companion to this bill was introduced in the U.S. Senate by Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA), alongside Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR). Right now, individuals with a disability or those aged 65 and older are only eligible for Supplemental Security Income if they have under $2,000 in assets. SSI’s marriage penalty restricts married couples to a total of $3,000 in financial resources to remain eligible. The bipartisan, bicameral legislation would update SSI’s asset limits for the first time since the 1980s to allow millions of Americans with disabilities to marry, work, earn, and save money without putting the benefits they rely on to live at risk.

Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-IL) and Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) introduced the Protecting Foster Youth Resources Act to protect the benefits and assets of foster youth by stopping states from making disabled and orphaned foster youth pay for their own care. The Protecting Foster Youth Resources Act would protect the benefits of foster youth to improve their well-being by stopping child welfare entities from taking foster youths’ assets to pay for their costs of care while also helping cover states’ costs of applying for benefits and protecting funds. This bill will help foster youth thrive by helping to secure and protecting these vital assets for eligible children to meet their unmet current and future needs.

Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-IL), Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), and Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) welcome the opportunity provided by the joint Request for Information (RFI) on the use and conservation of federal benefits for foster youth, as well as other ways federal agencies may play an appropriate role supporting broader Federal, State and local efforts to improve the outcomes of foster youth who receive federal benefits, published today by the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Children’s Bureau, an office of the Administration for Children & Families (ACF) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Today, Worker and Family Support Subcommittee Ranking Member Danny K. Davis (D-IL) led Democratic Members who have served on the Worker and Family Support Subcommittee during the 118th Congress in sending a letter to Social Security Administration (SSA) Commissioner Martin O’Malley calling for action to address high benefit denial rates for individuals, particularly children, who are disabled by Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) and the disproportionate harm to Black children and other low-income communities caused by SSA’s current regulations. Ranking Member Davis was joined on the letter by all of the Democratic members who have served on the Worker and Family Support Subcommittee this Congress: Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA), Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI), Rep. Dwight Evans (D-PA), Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-CA), and Rep. Terri Sewell (D-AL).