Under which condition can a legal permanent resident receive SSI?

A legal permanent resident can receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) under specific conditions related to their financial need and work history. The correct answer indicates that a legal permanent resident is eligible when they can combine work credits with their spouse's or parent's.

This option reflects the fact that SSI is tied to financial need but also to the concept of work credits, which can be accumulated through employment. If a permanent resident does not have enough personal work credits to qualify for SSI, they may still become eligible if they can combine those credits with their spouse's or parent's work credits. This provision helps to ensure that families can support each other within the system, especially in cases where one family member may not have worked enough to earn these credits on their own.

The other options do not encompass the comprehensive pathway for eligibility as clearly as this one. For example, while the demonstration of financial need is critical in SSI applications, it alone does not determine eligibility for legal permanent residents without considering their work history. Having 40 work credits is more aligned with Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) rather than SSI, which does not require such a high number of credits for eligibility. Lastly, the option stating that one must not have received any federal need-based benefits is also misleading, as