Justices to Review Whether Puerto Ricans Can Get Federal Benefit

The federal government convinced the U.S. Supreme Court to take another look at whether it could exclude residents of Puerto Rico from a welfare program tapped by millions of disabled Americans.

The justices agreed on Monday to review an appellate court decision agreeing with a district court that found the government couldn’t exclude island residents from the Supplemental Security Income program administered by the Social Security Administration.

The benefit, which provides assistance to low-income individuals who are either elderly, disabled, or blind, is available to residents of all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

The ...