2026 Update: Medicaid, SSI & Benefit Figures That Affect Your Settlement

Each January, federal cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) update many of the figures that govern how a settlement interacts with government benefits. For 2026, the COLA was 2.8%. Here is a plain-language summary of where the key numbers stand, and why they matter when protecting an injury settlement.

SSI (Supplemental Security Income): The maximum federal benefit rose to $994 per month for an individual ($1,491 for a couple). Importantly, the SSI resource limit did not change — it remains $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple. That $2,000 limit is the reason a settlement paid directly to an SSI recipient can end their eligibility, and the reason a properly structured trust matters.

Florida Medicaid (long-term-care programs): The countable-asset limit remains $2,000 for a single applicant. The monthly income cap rose to $2,982. The Community Spouse Resource Allowance can be up to $162,660, and the single-applicant home-equity limit is $752,000. Florida remains an "income cap" state with a five-year look-back on certain transfers.

What this means for you: the headline limits that put a settlement at risk — the $2,000 asset thresholds — have not loosened. If you receive or expect to need needs-based benefits, a settlement still needs to be protected in the right structure to preserve eligibility. The specific figures change yearly; the underlying strategy does not.

As always, these are general figures for 2026 and not advice about your specific situation. Confirm the current numbers and your own circumstances with a qualified professional before acting.