In New York, low-income seniors can apply for assistance to pay for assisted living from the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. This federal program provides supplementary income to those who qualify, and once approved NYS contributes a small amount to it, called the State Supplement Program or SSP.
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Be 65 or older, or blind or disabled (of any age)
- Have total assets must be below $2,000 if single or $3,000 if you are married.
While your own residence and the land that it's on do not count, any other residences you own do count. In addition, you can have a single vehicle and have life insurance policies with a face value of less than $1,500.
However, dependent children and other dependents can increase the value of assets you can have, and other factors apply.
The amount you receive depends on your income, the type of care you need and whether you are a couple or not. The maximum amount of SSI and SSP combined for an individual is $1,444, and the maximum amount for a couple is $2,888, as of 2018.
To learn more about eligibility requirements, call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 or check requirements via its website.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Remember to check with each assisted living residences you visit to see what form of payment they accept and if they offer reduced rates for lower-income residents.