I usually get a letter about once a year from the SSA stating that if I were to become disabled, I would receive a certain amount each month. The letter does explain how they come up with this amount. Like Janke said, the amount of FICA I paid in over the years. I don’t recall ever seeing anything on these letters about SSI, I guess because they are two different things all together. As I said in another thread, my baby brother passed away several years ago and he had three children. My parents had to take guardianship over the children because their mother was about to loose them to DHRS. The children do receive my brother’s social security in the line of survivor’s benefits which is very limited. With both my parents being on SSDI which is also very limited, wouldn’t the children or my parents have qualified for SSI? We lost my dad back in May of 2010, so now my mother only gets his survivor’s benefits which are way less that his SSDI check was. It is very hard on my mother trying to survive from month to month. My oldest nephew is over 18 now so his check has stopped. The oldest girl will be 18 in May so her check will stop. I wonder if my mother and the younger niece would qualify for SSI. My two other brothers live there close to my mom and they do help her as much as possible. I don't really have any money to help her but I do anyway from time to time. I think I’ll get mom to call SSA and talk to them about it.

Update:
I called my mother who lives in Florida. She told me that she has called SSA about SSI. Even though dad's and my nephew's check was stopped. Her and the two remaining children get $1483.00 combined a month, the income qualification in Florida is $1400.00 max. She is $83.00 over. They told her that in May when my older niece turns 18, she should qualify. She applied for food stamps and they turned her down because of the $1483.00 income. She has to pay the light bill, phone bill, homeowners insurance and health insurance for the kids because they don't qualify for Medicaid. And she has to feed them all on top of this. They deny her a $200 to $300 a month SSI benefits and food stamps because she gets $83.00 a month to much. So much for the government helping the people.