What Benefits are Available for Disabled Children?
An individual who is under age 18 or who is under 22 and a student regularly attending school, can be eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. The disability criteria for children are different than the criteria for disabled adults.
Disability benefits can be awarded if any of the child’s conditions or impairments are severe enough to equal the criteria for specific conditions, listed here.
If the child’s impairments do not equal that criteria, they can still be found disabled if their impairment or combination of impairments results in marked or severe functional limitations, and those limitations are expected to last 12 months or more. The Social Security Administration considers the following six domains when determining whether a child’s limitations are marked or severe:
Acquiring and using information.
Attending and completing tasks.
Interacting and relating with others.
Moving about and manipulating objects.
Caring for oneself.
Health and physical well-being.
A child will be considered disabled if their impairments pose marked limitations in at least two of these domains, or if their impairments pose marked limitations in at least one domain.
In addition to proving that a child is medically disabled, the child must also meet certain financial criteria to receive SSI benefits. If a child is under 18, unmarried, and still living at home with parent(s) who do not themselves receive SSI benefits, then a portion of the parents’ income and resources are counted against the child. The amount counted against the child can vary based upon how many other children are in the home and what type of income and resources the parents have.
If you believe that you or your child may be eligible for SSI benefits, contact me for a free consultation.
Disclaimer: This blog provides general information on legal issues and is not a substitute for legal advice. Each individual claim is unique. To seek legal guidance, you should contact an attorney.