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SSI is a mystery to me. I was always taught that it meant: "supplemental security income" and that it was NOT from the Social Security fund but from the welfare budget.

Therefore, I looked it up again.

http://www.ssa.gov/ssi/

Sure enough, here's what the government itself writes:

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a Federal income supplement program funded by general tax revenues (not Social Security taxes):

It is designed to help aged, blind, and disabled people, who have little or no income; and

It provides cash to meet basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter.

Basically, the classes I took said that SSI was named SSI so it could be called "social security" (although wrongly) and take away the stigma of Welfare.

Again, from the article:

The trustees who oversee Social Security urge Congress to shore up the disability system by reallocating money from the retirement program, just as lawmakers did in 1994.

Some are mistaking SSDI for SSI. SSDI is Social Security Disability Insurance which all workers pay into. SSI is Supplemental Security Income is not a pay in to receive benefits program. SSI payments do not come from the Social Security Trust Fund.

Generally a person who becomes disabled looses income within a few weeks. It usually takes from six months up too several years to go through the SSDI approval process depending on the number of appeals if approved at all. Most persons applying are turned down several times. During this time the person can draw SSI.

However upon approval of SSDI the SSI previously paid must be paid back and will come from the back pay of SSDI due on the first SSDI check.

Some persons with extreme low incomes on SSDI can also draw SSI. I can say from experience if your combined household income is above $10K per year for two persons you will not qualify for SSI. Both my wife and I are on SSDI drawing combined almost $1300 a month. We are no where near SSI qualifications but still well below the poverty level. Our SSDI is our total income.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a Federal income supplement program funded by general tax revenues (not Social Security taxes):

Doesn't much matter they are all going broke. It's just some are getting there quicker than others. Programs like this exist because there is no control on our money. We have a fiat currency instead of one limited by a required reserve.

The "separate" SS fund is filled with Treasuries. IOW, the SS taxes buy these notes and the money is then used in the general fund. It is only slightly different than all the underfunded defined benefit pensions in the private sector. The difference being the govt can just print money when it runs out.