Abstract
The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Program was created to protect people with disabilities from extreme poverty. However, its outdated rules and punitive structures trap millions in cycles of poverty and exclusion. For young adults with disabilities, the SSI system worsens existing barriers by limiting income and savings, discouraging work, and fostering dependence instead of independence. Drawing on personal narratives, historical context, and current policies, this Comment highlights how SSI reflects a long legacy of ableism and systemic neglect. The stories of individuals who have been denied dignity, family stability, and community belonging illustrate that reform is not just about policy, it is about justice. Proposed solutions like the SSI Restoration Act and the SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act are a path forward. Yet, their repeated stalling in Congress demonstrates society’s ongoing failure to prioritize disability rights. This Comment calls for urgent reform that respects the autonomy of people with disabilities and ensures a system that supports their rights to equity.
Last Page
437
First Page
383
Recommended Citation
Caitlyn B. Acosta,
Left Behind: How the SSI Program Fails to Support Young People with Disabilities,
28
The Scholar
383
(2026).
Available at:
https://commons.stmarytx.edu/thescholar/vol28/iss3/2
Volume Number
28
Issue Number
3
Publisher
St. Mary's University School of Law
Editor
Priscilla Okolie
ISSN
1537-405X
