Joseph Shapiro

And SSI was created almost 20 years before the Americans with Disabilities Act, which in 1990 banned discrimination against people with disabilities to make sure they could have the same ambitions as everyone else to be fully integrated into American life. And that includes, by the way, the right to find meaning in work.

Right. So to be clear, very few people on SSI are able to work. Less than 10% do work. And most of them are in low-paying part-time jobs. But some do work, and SSI has rules around work. And those are stuck in another era, too. So there's a limit on how much someone on SSI can earn in one month. It's just $65. More than $65 in a month? SSI reduces their benefit check.

Right. So to be clear, very few people on SSI are able to work. Less than 10% do work. And most of them are in low-paying part-time jobs. But some do work, and SSI has rules around work. And those are stuck in another era, too. So there's a limit on how much someone on SSI can earn in one month. It's just $65. More than $65 in a month? SSI reduces their benefit check.

Right. So to be clear, very few people on SSI are able to work. Less than 10% do work. And most of them are in low-paying part-time jobs. But some do work, and SSI has rules around work. And those are stuck in another era, too. So there's a limit on how much someone on SSI can earn in one month. It's just $65. More than $65 in a month? SSI reduces their benefit check.

It takes $1 for every $2 they earn. So, in effect, that's a tax of 50% on some of the poorest people in America.

It takes $1 for every $2 they earn. So, in effect, that's a tax of 50% on some of the poorest people in America.

It takes $1 for every $2 they earn. So, in effect, that's a tax of 50% on some of the poorest people in America.

Right. It's totally out of date. Ayesha, I want to tell you about someone else I met on SSI. Tabby Haley. She has spinal muscular atrophy, which weakens her muscles and her lungs.

Right. It's totally out of date. Ayesha, I want to tell you about someone else I met on SSI. Tabby Haley. She has spinal muscular atrophy, which weakens her muscles and her lungs.

Right. It's totally out of date. Ayesha, I want to tell you about someone else I met on SSI. Tabby Haley. She has spinal muscular atrophy, which weakens her muscles and her lungs.

She's 40. Medical breakthroughs, new medicines make a longer life possible.

She's 40. Medical breakthroughs, new medicines make a longer life possible.

She's 40. Medical breakthroughs, new medicines make a longer life possible.

Work. It's central to Tabby Haley's identity. Haley is a software engineer, a team leader on development and coding projects. She was a vice president at JPMorgan Chase, the financial services company.

Work. It's central to Tabby Haley's identity. Haley is a software engineer, a team leader on development and coding projects. She was a vice president at JPMorgan Chase, the financial services company.

Work. It's central to Tabby Haley's identity. Haley is a software engineer, a team leader on development and coding projects. She was a vice president at JPMorgan Chase, the financial services company.

Right. Well, she's one of a very, very small number of people who are on SSI but also make too much money to get a monthly benefit check. So she doesn't get a check, but she needs to stay eligible for SSI in order to keep her Medicaid coverage. So when Tabby Haley first started working, SSI gave her a waiver. It set aside her earnings from the asset limit and with her income,

Right. Well, she's one of a very, very small number of people who are on SSI but also make too much money to get a monthly benefit check. So she doesn't get a check, but she needs to stay eligible for SSI in order to keep her Medicaid coverage. So when Tabby Haley first started working, SSI gave her a waiver. It set aside her earnings from the asset limit and with her income,

Right. Well, she's one of a very, very small number of people who are on SSI but also make too much money to get a monthly benefit check. So she doesn't get a check, but she needs to stay eligible for SSI in order to keep her Medicaid coverage. So when Tabby Haley first started working, SSI gave her a waiver. It set aside her earnings from the asset limit and with her income,

She pays income tax just like everyone else.