(NewsNation) — Millions of retirees count on Social Security as their main source of income, and almost 68 million people will receive a Social Security benefit each month this year.
But what happens if you are convicted of a crime and sentenced to jail or prison?
According to the Social Security Administration, if you are serving a sentence in jail or prison for more than 30 consecutive days, your Social Security retirement benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) will be suspended.
However, while your benefits may be suspended, your spouse and children will continue to receive them as long as they remain eligible.
For those whose Social Security benefits were suspended while incarcerated, you can request to have your payments resumed the month after your release.
The same goes for SSI, which provides monthly payments to people with disabilities and older adults with little to no income: Payments will be suspended while you are incarcerated. However, the difference with SSI is that payments will resume the month you are released from prison.
However, the payment amount will be partial and determined by your release date.
The Social Security Administration will terminate all SSI benefits for criminals incarcerated for 12 or more consecutive months. Convicts released from prison after their long-term incarceration will have to file a new Social Security application after their release.