Deeming

Deeming is the SSI rule that counts part of another person's income and resources as if they belonged to the claimant. SSA deems from an ineligible spouse to an eligible spouse, from parents to a disabled child under 18 living at home, and from a sponsor to certain non-citizens.

The calculation excludes allowances for the family's own living needs and for other children in the household, and only the remainder is deemed. Deeming can reduce an SSI payment or make a person financially ineligible even when their personal income is zero, which is why household finances matter so much in children's SSI cases. Deeming generally ends when a child turns 18, so some children denied for financial reasons become eligible as adults.