If your child has a mental or physical condition that limits their activities, they may be eligible for financial assistance and medical care from the government.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) pays monthly benefits to people with limited income and resources who are disabled. In this article, we’ll discuss how to qualify, what you’ll get if you win, the application process, and steps you can take to strengthen your child’s case.
To qualify for SSI, your family must meet two sets of criteria. One has to do with your child’s medical condition, the other has to do with your family’s financial status.
First, your child must have a mental or physical condition that has lasted, or is expected to last, for more than one year.
This condition must significantly interfere with their ability to function at the level of other children the same age. There are a few ways to establish this:
Most importantly, your child must be receiving medical care. We’ll go over more about this in a later section.
Next, your child must not be working and earning over about $1,470 per month. They must also have few resources available to them. The SSA will take parental income and resources into consideration when determining whether a child is eligible for SSI.
These rules are complicated and vary case-by-case. A general rule of thumb: Parental income should be below $35,000 annually for a single parent household and $45,000 for 2+ parent households.
If they’re approved, your child will get a monthly check from the SSA. In most states, SSI recipients can also get Medicaid for help paying medical bills. Many states also provide supplemental payments, food stamps, and other social services to SSI recipients. Even if your child isn’t eligible for SSI, they might still be eligible for Medicaid (contact your state Medicaid agency for help).
The amount of money your child receives from SSI each month depends on the resources available to them. The SSA determines this during the application process. The maximum amount your child can receive from SSI is $914 per month in 2023.
The SSA doesn’t make getting approved for SSI easy, and it’s important to stay organized throughout the process.
First you’ll collect the necessary documentation and prepare to file your application.
The paperwork the SSA will ask for includes but is not limited to:
Medical information:
Other information:
Once you’ve gathered your records, you can submit your application online or in person. We recommend calling your local SSA office and setting up an appointment to file your application in their office. That way, you have a chance to speak with someone face-to-face if you get stuck on a question. To file online, you’ll need to set up an account on SSA.gov.
After you apply, you’ll need to keep the SSA updated on your child’s medical treatment by sending them new records and medical information; completing and sending back all follow-up paperwork; and attending a consultative exam with an SSA doctor.
One additional tip: Before you apply, check the SSA’s Compassionate Allowance List. If your child’s condition is on the list, you should let the local SSA office; their application will be fast-tracked.
You might get denied and could need to file for reconsideration. Unfortunately, the SSA denies most cases the first and second time around, regardless of how strong your child’s case may be.
At this point, we recommend working with a disability lawyer; they charge nothing unless you win, and they’re crucial to your success if you have to make your case before a judge (83% of people have a lawyer at the hearing stage, and you’re three times more likely to win with one on your side). At Atticus, we can give you free legal advice and help you find the right representation for your case, for free. You can get in touch with our team by completing our 2-minute intake quiz.
It can be tough to win these cases, but it is possible. Here are suggestions for how to strengthen your child’s case:
Unfortunately, this process can be lengthy. It can take three to five months for the SSA to determine whether your child is disabled. You should let the SSA know if your phone number or address changes.
For some conditions, the SSA recognizes that you might not be able to wait that long.
The SSA will pay benefits immediately (for up to six months, while your application is pending) if a child suffers from:
If you suspect your child meets this criteria, ask your local SSA office to start your payments automatically.
Your child can get approved for intellectual or learning disabilities, but it can be more difficult to get approved for conditions that don’t manifest physically.
The best evidence to show the severity of a learning disability is your child’s IQ scores, grades, and reports from teachers, counselors, and their doctors. Like we discussed above, if your child has an IEP, you should provide a copy of that too. Even if your child receives good grades or reaches their IEP goals, they may still qualify for disability benefits.
If your child is applying with a mental health condition, it’s ideal for your child to be seeing a psychiatrist and a therapist. Since your child doesn’t have the benefit of scans or tests to show their disability, the SSA needs to rely on notes from their mental health providers.
After your child turns 18, they’ll have to qualify for SSI as an adult. To do this, the SSA will re-evaluate their case to see if their disability meets the requirements of the SSA’s adult definition for disability. The SSA won’t consider your income anymore, but they might lower the amount your child gets per month if they’re receiving food and shelter from you.
If your child is under 18 (or 19 if they’re still in high school), they may be able to collect benefits as a dependent under your Social Security record. If you suspect this is the case, call your local SSA office and tell them that you want to apply for dependents benefits for your child.
If your child needs help getting health insurance, you can contact the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) at www.insurekidsnow.gov or call 1-877-543-7669 for information about your state’s program.
For help with food, shelter, or housing you can call 211 or visit 221.org to get connected with resources in your area.
For financial assistance, food pantries, medical care and other free or reduced-cost help, we recommend findhelp.org.
We also recommend continuing to do things that strengthen your child’s case before you apply and while you’re waiting for their application to be processed. We recommend taking time each day to document your child’s symptoms — a few sentences about any daily task that was difficult for them and any new or worsening symptoms.
Make sure you attend all doctor’s appointments and adhere to their treatment protocols. If your child gets additional medical treatment or is hospitalized, send the SSA updated records. If your child isn’t seeing a specialist for treatment, try to make an appointment.
How long has your condition made it hard to work?
Sydney Hershenhorn
Attorney
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