The Social Security Administration (SSA) oversees multiple Social Security Disability programs for adults and children in the United States. There are two primary types of disability, including  Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). 

When you are collecting SSDI, dependent children can be added to their parent or legal guardian’s Social Security disability application. Children who are disabled may be eligible for SSI benefits on their own. Understanding when your child meets the eligibility requirements and how SSI benefits work is essential if you hope to get your child the financial support they need when they need it most. 

However, it is important to remember that as much as 70% of all Social Security disability applications are denied. For this reason, you should not lose hope if you file for SSI for your child and you receive a denial. Instead, connect with a Social Security disability lawyer at Krasno Law to review your legal options and start preparing your case for appeal. Here is more about how SSI works for children, what to expect from the application process, and what SSI for kids entails.

What Are Supplemental Security Income Benefits?

SSI benefits are a type of Social Security disability. Here, individuals who are considered low-income and incapable of earning a living may qualify. When adults apply for SSI, the criteria are clear. You must:

• Have little to no resources
• Have little to no income
• Be age 65 or older, blind, or have a disability

As of 2023, the most an adult can earn each month is $1,913 while still collecting SSI benefits. The SSA keeps a list of qualifying conditions as well. If your disability is on this list, your application should be fast-tracked for approval. However, if your disability is not on the list, you can expect significant pushback from SSA representatives. 

That is not to say your application cannot eventually be approved once you go through the appeals process, but it is important to prepare accordingly. Unlike SSDI, where dependent children are also entitled to benefits, SSI is only available for children if the children themselves are disabled.

Social Security Disability Benefits For Children

There are three major ways that a child is able to collect SSI disability benefits:

SSI Dependents

For those children who do not qualify for SSI for kids due to being younger than age 18 and having a parent currently getting Social Security disability income or Social Security retirement benefits, those young adults could collect dependent benefits for SSI for children based on the records of the parents regardless of whether or not the parents are disabled.

Low Income

For low-income disabled children, Supplemental Security Income benefits are available until the children reach age 18, at which point the child becomes eligible to begin collecting adult SSI benefits.

Collecting Medicaid 

Those children who are approved for SSI disability could also receive Medicaid payments. For adults who have been disabled since childhood and disabled children who are older than 18 but become disabled prior to age 22, disability benefits could be paid if the parent is already collecting Social Security retirement income or Social Security disability income.

Disabled Young Adults and Adult Children Can Collect SSD

This category of benefit payments is also referred to as “Adult Child Benefits” and is an extension of dependent benefits available only to disabled children.

For a child disabled at the time of turning age 18, or for any young adult who develops a  disability prior to age 22, the Social Security dependent benefits previously available to them could go on so long as the person still meets disability requirements, even if the step-parent/adoptive parent or parent is receiving their own Social Security disability/retirement benefits.

When Is an Adult With a Disability Entitled to SSD? 

In order to obtain SSDI benefits for disabled young adults, the young adult has to meet the official disability definition to receive a child’s benefit. This is referred to as a child’s benefit since it is based on the earning record of the parent.

These SSI for children benefits could begin if the child is older than age 18 or at age 22 if the disabled child’s parent does not begin collecting Social Security disability benefits until retirement.

A young adult or an adult who gets disabled older than age 22 must have low enough assets and income to qualify for SSI or rely on their individual earnings record to obtain SSD benefits.

Social Security Dependents Benefits

Whether or not a child is disabled, they could be qualified to receive Social Security benefits if the adoptive parent, step-parent, or parent is already receiving disability benefits or retirement benefits through Social Security.  If that parent passed away but was entitled to one of those benefits before they died, the child could also collect these dependent benefits.

When a child receives benefits through the Social Security record established by the parent, these might be referenced as dependents’ benefits or auxiliary benefits. A child is eligible to receive no more than 50% of the monthly benefit the parent would have been entitled to.

There is also a family maximum limit based on the disabled person’s benefits. This is usually no more than 180% of the SSDI benefit given to the qualifying person.

What Happens When a Child Reaches Age 18?

When a child who has been receiving Supplemental Security Income disability benefits turns 18, the agency will reevaluate them as adults. This is referenced as “Age 18 Redetermination,” and this process is different, or evaluating adult applications for disability versus SSI for kids.

The assessment differences are most important for children who qualify for SSI due to their inadequate functioning in six domains. Adults who don’t meet a specific listing requirement could be given disability benefits if their mental or physical limitations affected their ability to do work activities.

Requirements for Child SSI Benefits

If you hope to get your disabled child access to the SSI benefits they need to provide for themselves when you no longer can take care of them, it is crucial to ensure your child meets the eligibility requirements. 

There are several criteria SSA representatives will review to determine whether your child qualifies. These include:

• The parent’s income
• The type of disability your child is diagnosed with
• Your child’s ability to work

Is SSI for a Child Based on Parents’ Income?

Social Security looks at the income of the parent with whom the child lives. If the family unit also includes a stepparent, that person’s income is taken into consideration. The child has to meet the SSI income limit ($1913 as of 2023) to continue with the application process.

SSI requires that an applicant has limited income and few assets. Currently, SSI recipients must have less than $2,000 in assets for one person and less than $3,000 for a couple.

Qualifying Medical Conditions 

A child could illustrate applicable medical disability in one of two ways when applying for SSI child benefits.

The first is by showing that their condition meets a disability listing requirement. The second is claiming that the applicant should receive SSI for children with disability issues because the impairment is “functionally equal” to the listings due to the child’s limitations.

For SSI benefits for a disabled child, there are 14 different listings in the Social Security “blue book” that explain the impairments that could qualify a child for disability benefits.

For those children who are receiving SSI due to equaling or meeting the requirements of a listing, there is a good chance they will be able to use that same listing for benefit payments as an adult. Sometimes, however, there will be a child listing for impairment but no corresponding adult listing. A Social Security disability attorney’s insight could be helpful with this process.

The Ability to Work

A child could be rated as having marked or severe impairments in at least one aspect of their functioning. As an adult, these children who do not meet a direct listing must be able to show that they are unable to work in order to receive what is known as a medical-vocational allowance.

The Social Security Administration looks at numerous factors to decide whether or not a child has the ability to work, including functioning and educational programs, work-related stress, community experiences, and on-the-job training.

Contact Krasno Law To Learn More About SSI For Kids

Getting SSI for your child may be far more complex than you expected. Do not feel defeated if your initial application is denied. It is up to you to fight for your child’s right to financial support when their disability prevents them from earning a living. Do not go into the appeals process alone. 

When you need a Social Security lawyer for children in Pennsylvania and are unsure of where to turn for help, look no further than our legal team at Krasno Law. You can complete our online contact form or call our office at (844) 243-4836 to find out whether your child is eligible for SSI, schedule your free, no-obligation consultation, and learn what your next steps should be.