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Brown Wants To Update A Benefit Program For Older Adults And People With Disabilities

By: Andy Chow | Statehouse News Bureau
Posted on: Friday, September 24, 2021

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WASHINGTON, D.C. (Statehouse News Bureau) — Brown is calling on Congress to update the federal program that helps older adults and people with disabilities.

U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) says it's 20 years since the last time changes have been made to the Supplemental Security Income program. — U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) says it’s 20 years since the last time changes have been made to the Supplemental Security Income program. [Karen Kasler | Statehouse News Bureau]

The U.S. Senate held a hearing on possibly raising the asset limit for people who receive Supplemental Security Income.

Brown said the SSI is to help people meet basic needs, such as food, clothing and housing.

He said it’s time to raise the asset limit from the current cap of $2,000 a person to $10,000 a person.

“It’s a tragedy that we’ve allowed it to go on. But it’s gone on because this a group of people that don’t have a lobbyist, don’t have a loud voice. They’re invisible to far too many of us in our country and the House and Senate have paid no attention to them and it’s about time that we do.”

U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Indiana) expressed reluctance to upgrading the program, saying he’d rather look at ways to growing job opportunities for people on SSI.