Quick answer: the 2025 SSI resource limit for married couples
For calendar year 2025, the SSI resource limit for a married couple is $3,000. That figure did not change in 2025. The individual limit remains $2,000. What does change eligibility is how you exclude certain resources (home, one vehicle, burial funds, ABLE) and how spousal deeming works when one spouse isn’t on SSI.
Bottom line: In 2025, a married couple must keep countable resources at or below $3,000 as measured at the first moment of each month.
Disclaimer: This is general information, not legal or financial advice. Always confirm your situation with SSA or a qualified benefits advisor.
What “resources” are—and what’s excluded for couples
Resources are things you own (cash, bank balances, stocks/bonds, land not your home, certain life insurance cash values, extra vehicles, etc.). SSA excludes a lot from this calculation. Key exclusions (not counted toward the $3,000) include:
- Your primary home and the land it sits on.
- One vehicle per household used for transportation—excluded regardless of value.
- Household goods and personal effects.
- Burial funds up to $1,500 per spouse, coordinated with life-insurance rules.
- Life insurance: if the total face value on any one person ≤ $1,500, the cash surrender value is excluded; above that, the cash value counts unless designated as burial funds.
- ABLE accounts: for an eligible owner, up to $100,000 is ignored for SSI resources; if balance > $100,000 and causes you to exceed the limit, benefits are suspended (not terminated) until the balance falls.
Bottom line: Before you worry about the $3,000 cap, check what doesn’t count—you may be under the limit once exclusions are applied. Source: SSA Spotlights/POMS, last checked: September 17, 2025.
Spousal deeming: why the couple still faces $3,000
If you’re married and live together, SSI may “deem” (count) the ineligible spouse’s non-excluded resources as yours. The eligible spouse meets resource eligibility only if the couple’s combined countable resources are ≤ $3,000—even when only one spouse is applying.
Example (simple):
- Couple’s checking = $3,400; one spouse is eligible, the other isn’t.
- They own one used car (excluded) and no home.
- They set aside $1,500 each as burial funds (properly designated).
- Countable resources drop to $400 (=$3,400 − $3,000 burial funds), which is ≤ $3,000 → meets the resource test.
Bottom line: For spouses living together, SSA usually looks at combined countable resources against the couple limit. Source: SSA POMS SI 01330.110, last checked: September 17, 2025.
Timing matters: the “first-of-the-month” (FOM) rule
SSA decides if you’re over or under the resource limit at the first moment of each month. A deposit you spend down on the 28th (same month) won’t count as a resource on the 1st of next month; but money sitting in your account at 12:01 a.m. on the 1st can trigger ineligibility for that entire month.
Practical takeaways:
- If a lump sum arrives mid-month, spend down before month-end on excluded items or allowable needs (e.g., pay rent/mortgage, utilities, medical bills, necessary household goods).
- Re-check balances on the last day of each month; document burial fund designations and ABLE balances.
Bottom line: Eligibility is a snapshot taken at the first moment each month—plan accordingly. Source: SSA POMS (FOM), last checked: September 17, 2025.
ABLE, burial funds & life insurance: bigger levers that reduce countable resources
ABLE accounts (per eligible owner):
- Up to $100,000 excluded from SSI resource counting.
- If ABLE balance pushes you over the resource cap, SSI is suspended (not terminated) solely for that reason; when the balance falls back, benefits can be reinstated.
Burial funds & burial spaces:
- You and your spouse may each exclude up to $1,500 in burial funds, coordinated with life-insurance rules and irrevocable burial arrangements.
Life insurance interactions:
- If total face value on one person ≤ $1,500, the policy’s cash value is excluded; over that, the cash value counts (unless treated as burial funds).
Bottom line: Thoughtful use of ABLE and burial fund exclusions can tip a borderline couple under the $3,000 line. Source: SSA Spotlights, POMS, CFR; last checked: September 17, 2025.
What changed lately (and what didn’t) for 2025
- Unchanged: The couple resource limit remains $3,000 in 2025.
- Changed (income counting, not the limit):
- SSA omitted food from ISM calculations effective Sept 30, 2024, often reducing the value attributed to in-kind support.
- SSA expanded the definition of “public assistance household” (also Sept 30, 2024), which can help some households qualify or receive higher SSI by treating them as public-assistance households.
Bottom line: Rules around income and living situations shifted, but the 2025 couple resource cap didn’t. Check both income and resources.
2025 SSI married-couple eligibility survival checklist
Use this monthly to avoid unpleasant surprises.
- Know your number: Your countable resources must be ≤ $3,000 at the first moment of each month. Set a calendar reminder for the last day of the month.
- List what doesn’t count: Home, one vehicle (any value), household goods, burial funds ($1,500 each), many life-insurance policies (≤$1,500 face value per person), and ABLE balances up to $100,000 (per eligible owner).
- Designate burial funds in writing (separate from non-burial assets) and keep proof. Coordinate with life-insurance face values.
- Track ABLE balances and contributions; understand suspension (not termination) if the ABLE balance temporarily pushes you over the limit.
- If only one spouse is eligible, remember spousal deeming: SSA counts the ineligible spouse’s non-excluded resources too.
- Document everything (statements, titles, designations) and keep them handy for redeterminations.
- Spend-down smart (before month-end) on necessities or excluded items—never transfer for less than fair market value (can trigger penalties).
Bottom line: Close your month under $3,000 after exclusions, and keep paperwork to prove it.
Comparison: 2024 vs 2025—limits and common exclusions (at a glance)
| Item | 2024 | 2025 | Notes / Authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSI resource limit – married couple | $3,000 | $3,000 | Unchanged. SSA fact sheet & spotlights. |
| SSI resource limit – individual | $2,000 | $2,000 | Unchanged. |
| Primary home | Excluded | Excluded | SSA exclusions. |
| One vehicle (any value) | Excluded | Excluded | POMS auto exclusion. |
| Burial funds (per spouse) | Up to $1,500 | Up to $1,500 | Coordinate with life-insurance face value. |
| ABLE account (per eligible owner) | First $100,000 excluded | First $100,000 excluded (suspension if excess) | POMS & Spotlights. |
| ISM – food | Counted pre-9/30/24 | Not counted (post-9/30/24) | Affects income, not resource limit. |
Bottom line: The dollar limits didn’t move, but smarter use of exclusions—and new income rules—can improve eligibility.
FAQs
1) What is the 2025 SSI resource limit for a married couple?
It’s $3,000 (unchanged). The individual limit is $2,000. Exclusions can reduce what counts. Source: SSA fact sheet & Spotlights, last checked: September 17, 2025.
2) Does my spouse’s money count if they’re not on SSI?
Usually yes. If you live together, SSA deems the ineligible spouse’s non-excluded resources to the eligible spouse. You must meet the $3,000 couple cap. Source: SSA POMS SI 01330.110, last checked: September 17, 2025.
3) What doesn’t count toward the $3,000?
Your home, one vehicle, household goods/personal effects, burial funds ($1,500 per spouse), certain life-insurance policies (≤$1,500 face value on one person), and ABLE balances up to $100k (per eligible owner). Source: SSA Spotlights/POMS/CFR, last checked: September 17, 2025.
4) How does the “first-of-the-month” rule work?
SSA checks resources at the first moment of each month. Be under $3,000 after exclusions by month-end. Source: SSA POMS (FOM), last checked: September 17, 2025.
5) Can an ABLE account help a married couple qualify?
Yes. For an eligible owner, up to $100,000 in an ABLE account doesn’t count for SSI resources; if the balance temporarily pushes you over, SSI is suspended (not terminated) due solely to that excess. Source: SSA Spotlights/POMS, last checked: September 17, 2025.
6) We have life insurance. Does that count?
If the total face value of policies on one person is ≤ $1,500, the cash value is excluded. Above that, cash value generally counts—unless coordinated as burial funds. Source: SSA Handbook/CFR, last checked: September 17, 2025.
7) Did Congress increase the couple resource limit for 2025?
No. Proposals exist to raise and index the limits, but as of 2025, the couple cap is $3,000. Source: SSA fact sheet; Congress.gov (bill status), last checked: September 17, 2025.