If you are convicted of a crime and incarcerated for more than 30 consecutive days, your Social Security benefits are suspended for the duration of your sentence. They can be reinstated in the month following your release.
The same goes for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), a Social Security–administered benefit program for low-income people who are disabled or over 65. There's one key difference: If you are imprisoned for longer than 12 months, SSI benefits are terminated outright and you will have to reapply upon release.
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Some penal institutions have prerelease agreements with Social Security. If you are being held in such a facility, you or an official there should notify Social Security 90 days before your release to start the process for resuming your benefits. If your institution does not have such an agreement, you’ll need to contact Social Security when you get out and provide your official release documents.
While any Social Security benefits you are collecting are suspended while you are incarcerated, there is no impact on benefits paid to family members on your work record. If your spouse or children are collecting benefits on your record when you are imprisoned, those will continue.
