2025 brings great news for Social Security beneficiaries. If you already receive regular payments, you can check out the extras and add-ons you can receive with minimum requirements. There are several benefits that add to your monthly benefit payments. In this report, we will review each of these extras and the conditions you must meet to receive them. There are several governmental supports that Social Security beneficiaries can receive in addition to their benefit. Among them are the following:
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI): this federal program is aimed at people over 65 years of age, with disabilities or blindness, and with limited income and resources. Receiving other benefits may impact the final amount of this support.
- Combined spousal and retirement benefits: if you have a spouse, you may be able to access up to 50% of his or her retirement or SSDI payment. Although it is necessary to explain that for this, you must meet certain age requirements or have children under 16 years of age under your care.
- SNAP food stamps: this benefit provides electronic cards to buy food at authorized establishments.
- Veterans’ programs: This social group can combine VA partial compensation payments with Social Security or SSI.
- TANF and WIC: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provide additional support for low-income families. In this case, the combination with any other benefit will depend on local laws.
- Unemployment benefits: In certain states, it is possible to receive Social Security payments along with additional or extra unemployment benefits.
How to access these benefits, and what do you need?
There are many ways to receive these payments in addition to Social Security. Some programs are granted automatically, while others require an application process. To maximize the benefits available:
- Review the requirements: each program contains specific criteria, such as income limits or veteran status.
- Consult government offices: visit local agencies for specific, personalized guidance on how to apply for these programs.
- Apply early: submitting the required documents before the deadlines is essential to avoid delays with payments.
For more information on these programs, the requirements and the application process, we recommend you visit the “Benefits” section of the official Social Security website. Another option is to contact the telephone lines opened by the governmental entity for different types of inquiries. You can find them on their website.
Another great news for beneficiaries
The receipt of extra and additional Social Security benefits is not the only good news for beneficiaries. A law was also approved in Congress that will allow increasing the amount of the checks. It is a regulation that seeks to correct inequalities in the benefits’ system.
With this, it will eliminate laws with Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO), which reduced the payments of many beneficiaries for years. With this new measure, public service workers, such as police officers, teachers and firefighters, will see increases in their monthly checks. It will also put an end to more than 40 years of reduced payments for this sector.
But not everything is rosy with this law. The approval of the “Social Security Fairness Act”, the name of this new regulation, was also criticized. It is believed that the increase in Social Security benefit payments could represent a risk for the pension system. According to them, this would complicate its long-term stability.
