Her Husband Inherits $250,000 When His Mother Dies. She’ll Lose Her $1,029 SSI Check Even Though the Money Is in His Name
She never inherited a penny, and the savings account carries only his name. Yet a quiet federal rule can still reach across the marriage and hit her monthly check, and the clock starts on a date most couples overlook.
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Take a 67-year-old woman collecting the maximum federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payment for 2027, which is $1,029 a month. Her husband doesn’t receive SSI. When his mother dies, he inherits $250,000 in cash and puts it in a savings account in his name only. She figures her check is safe because she never inherited a dollar.
She could lose the whole check anyway. Money one spouse receives can end a benefit the other relies on, even when the inheritance is kept in a separate account.
Why His Savings Account Counts as Her Money
SSI is based on financial need. Social Security retirement benefits work differently. You earn them through payroll taxes, and there is no limit on how much you can own while ...