SSI: trends in State supplementation, 1974-78

Legislation establishing the SSI program and subsequent amendments provide for State payments to supplement the basic Federal SSI payment. For former public assistance recipients, State payments are required, if necessary, to maintain prior income levels. For those newly eligible, additional State payments are optional. At the beginning of SSI, most States elected to provide supplementary payments to those newly eligible as well as to former public assistance recipients. Since then, numerous changes have taken place. This article summarizes and analyzes changes that occurred in State supplementation under SSI from 1974 through 1978. Although nationwide few variations took place in State supplementation during the period, individual States experienced significant changes--primarily in the number of recipients and expenditures. Some of these changes occurred because of implementation of Federal-State legislation resulting in program expansion and/or benefit alterations. A significant shift took place in the distribution of recipients by eligibility category: the disabled became the major category, replacing the aged. The caseload for the blind, however, remained relatively stable.