you could be his dependent and therefore he properly claimed you. here are the rules.
you are a Qualifying Relative and hence his dependent if
- your gross income for 2019 less than $4,200
- he provided over ½ your support
now let's try to clarify something. SSI is technically supplemental security income and not the regular social security benefits.
If you were collecting SSI, you cannot be claimed as a dependent. The gross income test under the Qualifying Relative rule is $4,200 excludes ONLY non-taxable Social Security. SSI is NOT Social Security even though it's not taxed. If you were collecting Social Security and it was your only income it's not taxed so you meet the gross income test under the Qualifying Relative rule.
