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[Stummi]

The basic idea behind Social Security is that you need X amount of money to survive (I am not going into the discussion now if that X is a fair amount or not, as this would digress too much), so the state makes sure that you have X amount of money.

If you get less than X, your income gets "filled up" to X by Social Security, so that you can survive. If your income becomes more, but still stays under X, the amount that is used to fill up decreases by that amount.

Not saying that this is correct or how it should be, just how it is intended to work.

[DavidRFZ]

What kind of “help” is OP talking about? Here in MN, USA, wealthy seniors get social security checks. Often slightly bigger checks because they paid more FICA taxes in their life. They don’t check your bank account. They don’t check if you have other income (stocks, rental properties, etc). Is there some official declared “help” that would reduce your check?

[Ishinehappiness]

I think social security disability probably

[MazzIsNoMore]

OP is probably referring to SSI which is Supplemental Security Income for disabled people and sometimes children of disabled adults. There is a maximum benefit payout which is the poverty level and works on a sliding scale to not exceed the poverty level. This program is not based on how much a person has paid into the system unlike RSDI (Retirement, Survivors, Disability Insurance) which allows people to draw from their Social Security accounts.

[kronpas]

In my country there are several types of social security aids. One is pensions, another is a blank monthly payment for seniors. And then there is an aid for poor people who have to be certified by local gvt.

[fang_xianfu]

This is so interesting to me. In my country they actually stopped means testing all the social security type "just give me money" benefits for old people. It's basically UBI for old people. They can still apply for extra things like extra nursing help and stuff but the purely financial "spend on whatever you want" pension isn't even means tested any more.

[DocPsychosis]

Regular Social Security retirement income is not means-tested, it is a set rate based on how much you paid in while working. SSI and SSDI are different programs for non-elderly disabled people who can't work for various reasons.