A mere look at Shy’tyra Burton’s life shows her need for the kind of federal aid that enables disabled Americans to remain in their homes. Born two months prematurely to a low-income family in Philadelphia, Burton couldn’t breathe or swallow without tubes and remained mostly in medical facilities until age 27. She was diagnosed with numerous developmental and intellectual disabilities that resulted in an IQ below 20. Undeterred, she graduated from a high school special education program and then tried community college. However, she had difficulty understanding basic tasks and information. She was unable to get hired anywhere, even at McDonald’s. Following numerous medical and psychological assessments and a judicial hearing, the federal government approved her for the Supplemental Security Income program, which offers a basic income to individuals with severe disabilities and low-income elderly people. For Burton, now age 203, the $220 monthly payment is a lifesaver but insufficient for her to fully support herself independently. So, like many SSI recipients, she has continued to live with her father, who makes around $22,025 a month as a Philadelphia sanitation worker. Now, President Donald Trump’s administration is poised to penalize people like Burton simply for living in the same home as their families, according to four federal officials, internal emails, and a federal regulatory listing. The administration is drafting a regulation that would subtract the value of a disabled adult’s bedroom from their SSI benefits, even if the family members they live with qualify for food stamps due to their poverty. This would entail reducing benefits for some of the lowest-income SSI recipients by as much as a third—around $330 monthly in Burton’s situation—or terminating their support entirely. Multiple Social Security officials stated that the push to cut SSI for families also receiving food stamps, known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), originated last year from senior White House and Department of Government Efficiency officials.
