Children And Supplemental Security Income (ssi)

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Children and Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

To qualify for federal disability benefits under the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, a child must be either physically disabled or legally blind. A child, as defined by Social Security, is a person under the age of 18 or a person under age 22 and a full-time student.

There is no minimum age requirement to qualify for SSI benefits, so the parents of a disabled child may apply at anytime, including birth, that the child becomes disabled. If the child qualifies, they will receive a monthly benefit check and will also qualify for Medicaid to cover their medical expenses.

In order to qualify for SSI, a child must have a significant impairment that severely limits their ability to function. The condition must be expected to last at least one year, and/or be expected to result in death. Some of the impairments that qualify for SSI disability are: total deafness, total blindness, Down syndrome, muscular dystrophy, HIV infection, cerebral palsy, severe mental retardation and birth-weight below 2 lbs. 12 oz. If the child has one of these conditions, they can automatically begin receiving SSI disability payments.

The financial situation of the child is taken into consideration when applying for SSI benefits. A portion of the parents or stepparents income and assets is considered when determining if the child meets the financial requirements to receive benefits.

A Child Disability Report must be completed in order to apply for SSI benefits. This report details the childs medical diagnosis, as well as medical history, school information and work history, if any. The medical portion of the report includes doctors visits, hospitalizations, medications, test results and therapies the child has received. All information needs to include names, dates, and contact information. The ways in which the childs impairments limit their ability to function need to also be detailed.

You will need the childs birth certificate and social security number in order to file for SSI. The claim can be filed at your local Social Security office or online.

It can take three to five months for applicants to find out if their child has qualified for SSI benefits. However, if the child meets certain standards, including the above-listed conditions, they may begin receiving benefits immediately while their application is being processed.

Once the child begins receiving benefits, their condition must be reviewed every three years if their impairment is expected to improve. For low birth weight babies, they must be reviewed by the time theyre a year old, unless their condition isnt expected to improve.

Occasional reviews may be conducted by Social Security to determine if the child is receiving the medically necessary treatments.

If the child is approved for SSI, they should also meet the standards to receive Medicaid coverage, which will pay for medical costs.

If the childs claim for disability is denied, a Request for Reconsideration may be filed, in which case the information initially submitted is reviewed by another Social Security professional. If its denied again, you may ask for an appeal before an administrative law judge. A final appeal may be filed in Federal District Court.

by: Burt Owens

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