SSI Extension for Elderly and Disabled Refugees Act

The SSI Extension for Elderly and Disabled Refugees Act (Public Law 110-328) extended the timeframe that refugees, asylees, and other humanitarian immigrants could receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits while their U.S. citizenship applications were pending. Specifically, it allowed eligible individuals to continue receiving these benefits for an additional two to three years beyond the previous seven-year limit, provided they declared a good-faith effort to pursue naturalization.

To fund this extension, the law authorized the federal government to recover unpaid state unemployment debt by withholding money from an individual’s federal tax refunds. This provision targeted debts resulting from fraudulent unemployment claims that had remained unpaid for up to ten years, ensuring that states could recoup lost funds while providing a financial safety net for vulnerable elderly and disabled residents.