How much will Sam's next SSI payment be reduced by after receiving $100 from his sister?

When an individual receives Supplemental Security Income (SSI), certain types of income can affect the benefit amount they receive. In Sam's case, when he receives a gift of $100 from his sister, this amount is considered unearned income.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) allows for some income exclusions when calculating the SSI benefit. Specifically, a person can have the first $20 of their unearned income excluded from their SSI calculation. This means that of the $100 Sam received, the first $20 is not counted against his SSI benefits, leaving $80 of that amount considered as countable income.

Since this countable income directly reduces the amount of SSI benefits Sam can receive, the calculation is as follows: starting with $100 and subtracting the $20 exclusion leaves Sam with a countable amount of $80. As a result, Sam's SSI payment will be reduced by the $80, which is the amount that affects the benefit calculation. Thus, the correct answer reflects the monetary impact of the income Sam received on his next SSI payment.