SSI and Board and Care Homes in California

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a federal program that pays a monthly amount to people who are 65 or older, or who are blind or have a disability, and who have limited income and few resources. California adds its own money, the State Supplementary Payment (SSP). The two arrive as one payment, and the Social Security Administration runs both.

The amount depends on where the person lives. California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR), a nonprofit that publishes consumer fact sheets on long-term care, explains that there is a special rate for a person who lives in a licensed care home. It is called the non-medical out-of-home care rate, often shortened to NMOHC, and it is higher than the rate for people living on their own.

The rate applies in board and care homes and assisted living communities alike, since both are licensed in California as residential care facilities for the elderly (RCFEs). Families often hear it called the board and care rate.

The Social Security Administration's 2026 publication for California lists the non-medical out-of-home care payment at $1,626.07 a month for a single person who is aged, blind or has a qualifying disability. California's Community Care Licensing Division published the breakdown in a notice to care homes dated December 8, 2025, as estimated payment standards effective January 1, 2026.

The licensing notice adds one detail. A recipient who has other income as well, such as a Social Security retirement benefit or a pension, can be charged an additional $20 for basic services if he or she agrees to it in the admission agreement. That makes $1,464.07 in 2026.

Not everyone receives the full amount from SSI. Social Security's publication notes that a payment may be lower if the person has other income. CANHR gives an example: a single RCFE resident with a $1,000 Social Security retirement benefit could be eligible for $646.07 in SSI in 2026, bringing total income to about the care home level.

The figures are reissued each year, so check the current ones before you rely on them. For a couple, ask Social Security for the amount.

CANHR's fact sheets set out the rules, citing Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations, section 87464, and the Health and Safety Code:

• The SSI rate is payment in full for basic services. A home may not charge an SSI recipient more than the rate set by the state for them.
• Extra charges are limited. CANHR says they can be made only for a private room or special food services.
• No required family supplement. A home cannot require relatives to add to the SSI rate as a condition of admitting or keeping a resident.
• Voluntary contributions are possible but have rules. CANHR explains they must stay outside the admission agreement, be paid directly to the home and be used for care, not for shelter or food, to protect the resident's benefits. Ask Social Security or an elder law attorney before arranging one.
• No pre-admission fee. Health and Safety Code section 1569.651 bars any pre-admission fee or deposit for a person who receives SSI/SSP.
• A rate reduction after admission. CANHR says that if a resident becomes an SSI recipient after moving in, the home must lower its monthly charge to the SSI rate.

Social Security decides eligibility. Its 2026 California publication says a person must be 65 or older, blind or have a disability, with little or no income and few resources: things owned must be worth no more than $2,000 for a single person or $3,000 for a married couple living together. It does not count the home a person lives in and usually does not count a car.

The California Department of Social Services says to apply at a local Social Security office, online, or by calling 1-800-772-1213. CANHR adds a point about the higher rate: bring proof that the applicant has signed an admission agreement with an RCFE or already lives in one, along with the income and resource documents.

SSI usually brings Medi-Cal with it. Social Security's publication says a person who gets SSI can usually get Medi-Cal automatically, without a separate application. That matters because Medi-Cal is the door to the two programs described below.

The gap between the SSI rate and market prices is very wide. A home may charge an SSI recipient $1,444.07 a month in 2026, while CareScout's 2025 Cost of Care Survey reports a California median of $7,000 a month for an assisted living community. Our guide to board and care costs in California explains how small homes price their rooms.

CANHR describes the result. The law does not require a home to admit a person on SSI, and fewer and fewer are willing to take the low payment. It adds that some homes are more willing when the person's care needs are low. Expect a search on SSI alone to be harder and slower than a private-pay search, and start it early.

CANHR's SSI fact sheet points to two Medi-Cal programs that can help some people. Medi-Cal pays for residential care on a limited basis through the Medi-Cal Assisted Living Waiver. Some Medi-Cal managed care plans also offer Community Supports that may help with assisted living payments for certain members, which we cover in CalAIM and assisted living transitions. Our overview of ways to pay for assisted living sets these beside the private options.

Hamssa Benrekia is a senior living placement specialist in Torrance who works with families in the South Bay and Harbor area of Los Angeles County. She does not decide SSI eligibility and does not enroll anyone in a benefit program. She will ask about your relative's care needs and the real monthly budget, including SSI, and tell you plainly what she sees among local homes, including a board and care home where one may fit. Ask her about your situation when you call. To start, contact Hamssa. The full series is in the California Assisted Living Placement Guide.