A share certificate is not a wage. A US benefits manual is not your answer.
Illiquid shares and months of unpaid work can matter to a household, to a visa, and to a benefits office. They do not, by themselves, tell you whether you qualify for anything. Write what you hold, what you were paid, and who depends on the income. Then ask a qualified adviser who can see the programme rules that apply to you.
US Social Security POMS section SI 01130.501, transmittal effective 16 November 2023, says property essential to self-support that is used in a trade or business is excluded from Supplemental Security Income resources regardless of value or rate of return, effective 1 May 1990, if it is in current use or there is a reasonable expectation that the use will resume. That is US SSI operational guidance. It does not classify a private-company shareholding. It does not decide a UAE founder’s benefits, tax, or household support. The related handbook page returned 403 and is not cited. No eligibility conclusion is drawn here.
Question. How can illiquid equity or unpaid founder work affect benefits, eligibility, and household support?
US Supplemental Security Income operational guidance. Property essential to self-support that is used in a trade or business is excluded from resources regardless of value or rate of return, effective 1 May 1990, if it is in current use or there is a reasonable expectation that the use will resume. The section does not classify a private-company shareholding. It does not answer a UAE founder’s benefits, tax, or household support. The related handbook section returned 403 and is not cited.