[Crowbob]

SSI (Supplemental Security Income) and SS (Social Security) are two different things. Both are administered by the Social Security Administration.

SSI is a needs-based medical welfare income program originally designed for the very poor and elderly. The recipients need not have paid into the program to be eligibile and the money comes out of the General Fund (the BIG Bucket O' Money).

SS was originally designed as a supplemental retirement income program for the elderly and was maintained by a so-called Social Security Trust Fund (OASI). Beneficiaries must become eligible by virtue of paying into the fund through payroll deduction (FICA) plus employer paid taxes. The beneft amount is a caluclation based on what the individual paid in. There is, however, no dedicated individual account.

Over the years, both programs have been corrupted by the socialists in DC. Specifically, SSI was extended to cover the children of indigent people, immigrants, refugees, and adult children of disabled people and other special groups as ammened by the socialists from time to time.

SS retirement was extended to provide an income of the 'disabled' (commonly referred to as 'Disabiity') and numerous groups were added over the years to include the spouses and children of 'covered' individuals who expired or became disabled prior to normal retirement age (full retirement eligibility originally began at age 65, early eligibility for a reduced benefit amount begins at age 62).

In 1964 with Lyndon Johnson, the SS Trust Fund was taken off the books and ceased to be included in the federal accounting for future liabilities. In addition, the money in the fund at the time (and all future increases in that fund) was replaced with a federally guaranteed IOU that is currently kept in a file cabinet somewhere in Baltimore, MD or Wilkes-Barre, PA or wherever. Essentially it consists of a piece of paper that says 'IOU'. That is the famous 'lock-box'. Both programs are now completely unsustainable. The exact dates at which each program becomes 'insolvent' changes with the changing demographics and by changing statute. However, those projected dates of insolvency have inexorably crept closer and closer to the present.

In addition, Medicare (among other things) is the Federally funded medical 'insurance' program one automatically becomes eligible for two years or so after one becomes 'disabled' or at age 65 whichever is sooner. The welfare counterpart to Medicare is Medicaid. Medicaid is a needs-based medical care program one becomes automatically eligilbe for if one eligible for SSI.

Originally, both SSI and SSDI (The 'disability' part of Social Security) had very strict medical requiriements for eligibility. Today, not so much. The socialists and bureaucrats have eroded the requirements by various mechanisms, including changing the definition of disability, reducing the documentary requirements and/or appointing like-minded disability 'judges'. In addition, numerous legal challenges were made over the years claiming certain classes of individuals' civil rights were violated by their having been denied disability beenfits. All of these have had profound long-term and incremental effects on the viability and sustainability of these so-called 'entitlements'.

Currently, political considerations prevent any of these programs being repaired and it was just a matter of time before the people, along with the advocacy groups, lawyers, bureaucrats and others discovered that really there is no botom tp the pot of 'gold'.

Edit: This is an extremely truncated synopsis of these messes. The details of which can and do change with each passing day. Please consult you local bureacracy for more (or less) accurate information.