This month, the Social Security Advisory Board (SSAB) released their 2025 SSI Statement. From their Press Release:

SSI is a program for people with low income and resources who either have a qualifying disability or are age 65 or older. The report focuses on SSI in United States territories.

Of the five US Territories, only the residents of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (2020 pop. 47,329) are eligible for SSI. Residents of Puerto Rico (2020 pop. 3,285,874), Guam (2020 pop. 153,836), and the US Virgin Islands (2020 pop. 87,146), cannot receive SSI, but those territories have alternative block grant programs established through the Social Security Act. Residents of American Samoa (2020 pop. 49,710) are not eligible for SSI or an alternative block grant.

The 2025 SSI Statement provides a history of SSI and alternative block grant programs in United States territories. It also describes current similarities and differences between SSI and the block grant programs. The Board hopes that this information will be useful to policymakers.

The SSAB is composed of Presidential and Congressional appointees with professional staff. Recent reporting from Reuters indicates that the White House plans to cut the Board’s annual budget from around $3 million to zero, effectively defunding it (though this reporting has not yet been officially confirmed by the White House). NOSSCR is pleased to see that the Board is still releasing their critical non-partisan research, and we hope that they are able to continue doing so, as they provide a vital window into the workings of Social Security.