Our safety net penalizes financial responsibility by people with disabilities. I know it firsthand.

I have a disability, and I began receiving disability benefits when I turned 18. My medical issues first qualified me for federal support through the Supplemental Security Income program when I was a sick, homeless youth in Philadelphia. SSI has helped me cover my rent, groceries, and essential medical care. As of January, I receive $943 a month — the maximum amount a single SSI recipient can get. I still require this cash assistance today, although I hope my condition will improve enough that I can eventually leave the program and find consistent work.

However, in 2020, I faced a significant setback when I was hit by a car while riding my bicycle.

The driver fled the scene, leaving me with serious injuries and mounting medical bills. Finally, after two years, I was awarded a net settlement of around $7,000 from the Pennsylvania Financial Responsibility Assigned Claims Plan, a fund set up to pay benefits to people injured in motor vehicle accidents in Pennsylvania. I was looking forward to using this compensation to pay my medical bills and improve my life. But my excitement quickly turned to worry: What if this money disqualified me from my SSI benefits?

In addition to strict income rules, SSI requires that I hold no more than $2,000 in assets. While there are some exceptions to this rule, I must be vigilant about maintaining a low savings level every month. This means that the $7,000 settlement could lead the Social Security Administration to terminate my SSI benefits.

I wasn’t being paranoid: Every year, hundreds of thousands of Americans lose their SSI benefits because they have exceeded the resource limits.

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I seriously considered forfeiting my settlement, even though I was in desperate need of the money. I was the victim of a hit-and-run, yet I somehow felt like I was about to be convicted of a crime.

This is a dilemma I should not have had to face.

The SSI’s resource limit is the strictest of any other federal program and hasn’t been updated for inflation in decades. If you consider inflation, today’s resource limit is one-fifth the value it was in 1972. This rigid approach to resources essentially forces SSI beneficiaries to live without any safety net to weather an emergency or save for their future.

It should come as no surprise that these outdated restrictions make it hard to escape poverty.

Congress has an opportunity to right this wrong. The SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act would raise the asset limit to $10,000 for individuals and $20,000 for married couples to account for changes to the cost of living and would adjust those limits every year for inflation.

Congress has an opportunity to right this wrong.

This bipartisan bill is supported by a range of organizations like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, AARP, and the National Association of Evangelicals, as well as local U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick. It’s good to see: No one should need to worry about getting kicked off their SSI benefits for saving responsibly — or in my case, for receiving a modest settlement for getting hit by a car.

But alas, that bill remains in the Senate Committee on Finance. For now, the SSI resource limit is stuck at $2,000.

I eventually decided to keep the settlement payment. To try to prevent losing my SSI benefits, I consulted an organization that provides free legal advice, which recommended that I spend a portion of my settlement payment. So when I got my settlement on Sept. 10, within three weeks, I bought things in bulk that would last, like much-needed clothing. If I could have waited until Black Friday, the money would’ve gone much further.

The lawyers I consulted helped me place the remaining funds in a supplemental ABLE account, a tax-free savings account for people with disabilities. The ABLE account would allow me to retain my settlement funds without the risk of losing my SSI support, but it required learning yet another set of regulations. I could use it to pay rent and cover qualified medical expenses, but not to purchase clothes or pet food.

Throughout this ordeal, I wondered how other SSI recipients dealt with this type of situation. Without significant legal support, I would not have known how to handle this incredibly confusing set of rules. The support of a social worker or lawyer almost feels like a requirement to handle this red tape. What’s more, in order to qualify for an ABLE account, currently, you need to have a disability that began before age 26, which leaves out millions of U.S. residents with disabilities (however, in 2026, the age limit for onset of disability will increase to 46).

It doesn’t have to be this complicated. Congress should fix SSI so more vulnerable Americans can responsibly prepare for the future without losing a lifeline of monthly support. Lawmakers should pass the SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act and ensure responsible saving is no longer penalized for millions of Americans.

J.W. Haven is an SSI recipient who has been a resident of Philadelphia for 13 years. She’s an aspiring bike mechanic who is working hard to improve her health.