President Biden Releases Statement on SSI for Puerto Rico
President Biden issued a statement today {June 7} emphasizing his support for Puerto Rico parity within the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program despite the fact that the Department of Justice will file a brief today in support of the federal law that excludes Puerto Rico from SSI.
“I believe that Puerto Rico residents should be able to receive SSI benefits, just like their fellow Americans in all 50 states and Washington D.C.,” the president said. “I call on Congress to amend the Social Security Act to extend these benefits to residents of Puerto Rico.”
The SSI case
Residents of Puerto Rico are not currently eligible for Supplemental Social Security, a program for elderly, needy individuals with disabilities. This law went to court in the case of United States v. Vaello-Madero, in which Jose Luis Vaello-Madero qualified for SSI payments while living in New York and then continued to receive the benefits in his New York-based bank account after moving to Puerto Rico. When the Social Security administration realized that Mr. Vaello-Madero had moved, they demanded that he pay back what he had received while living in Puerto Rico.
Vaello-Madero challenged this demand and won in court. The United States filed an appeal, and the case is now pending before the Supreme Court.
Read more: https://www.puertoricoreport.com/president-biden-releases-statement-on-ssi-for-puerto-rico/#.YMhBe-HPzIU