Social Security Benefits for Disabled Child
What Is Social Security Disability For Children?
When a parent becomes disabled or dies and qualifies for Social Security Disability (SSD) insurance benefits, their biological child, adopted child, or stepchild could also be eligible to receive benefits on their record. A dependent grandchild may also qualify in some circumstances.
Caring for a disabled child can be an ongoing financial concern for a family. To ease this financial strain, SSA also provides benefits for the care of eligible children.
In order to receive benefits, the child must be unmarried and be under 18 years of age, 18-19 years of age and a full-time student (no higher than grade 12), or 18 years of age or older and have a disability that started before age 22. Benefits typically end when children reach 18 years of age unless they are disabled, but benefits can continue until the child graduates or until two months after the child becomes age 19 if the child is still a full-time student at age 18.
Do you need help filing an SSD claim in Kentucky? The Paul Baker Law Office represents people with SSD claims in Barbourville and other nearby communities in Kentucky. You can have one of our experienced lawyers review your case and answer all of your legal questions when you call us or complete an online contact form to receive a free consultation.
How Does The SSA Define “Disability” For Children
The SSA has a strict definition of “disability” for children. A child must have a physical or mental condition that very seriously limits their activities, and the condition must have lasted, or be expected to last, at least one year or result in death.
Not all children need to be disabled in order to obtain SSD benefits. Children younger than 18 years of age (or 19 when a child is a full-time student) and have a parent currently receiving SSD or Social Security retirement benefits can collect dependents benefits based on their parents’ records regardless of their disability.
When you have a childhood disability interview with the SSA scheduled, the SSA recommends having such medical information as the name, address, and phone number of every doctor, therapist, hospital and clinic that has seen or treated the child for at least the last year, any medical records you already have, including the dates the child was seen or treated and the child’s patient ID numbers, medications the child is taking, and the child’s medical assistance number.
Other information the SSA recommends having for your interview includes:
- Names, addresses, and phone numbers of any schools the child attended in the past 12 months, including names of teachers, psychologists, counselors, speech and other therapists.
- The child’s Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) for early intervention services or Individualized Education Program (IEP) for special education services.
- Names, addresses, and phone numbers of any social service programs and the name of caseworkers.
- Name, address, and phone number of another adult who helps care for the child.
- Names, addresses and phone numbers of any employers the child has had.
- Original or certified copy of the child’s birth certificate.
- Names and Social Security numbers for all the children and adults who live in the household.
- Proof of current income for the child and family members living in the household.
- Proof of resources for the child and parents living in the household.
When a child is 18 years of age or older, their disability will be evaluated by the SSA in the same manner it determines disability for an adult.
SSDI for Children: At What Age Can You Apply for Social Security?
A child under 18 years of age can collect SSDI benefits based on the Social Security earnings record of a parent. Children can be entitled to up to half, or 50 percent, of the parent’s monthly benefit.
When a parent who was receiving SSDI or other Social Security benefits dies, the child may be entitled to dependent benefits. These benefits are typically up to 75 percent of the parent’s monthly benefit.
The SSDI program also pays benefits to adults who have a disability that began before they turned 22 years of age. This SSDI benefit is a “child’s” benefit because it is paid on a parent’s Social Security earnings record.
For a disabled adult to become entitled to this child benefit, one of their parents must be receiving Social Security retirement or disability benefits, or died and worked enough to qualify for Social Security. These benefits also are payable to an adult if he or she is disabled at age 18 and receive dependents benefits on a parent’s Social Security earnings record prior to age 18.
SSDI disabled adult child benefits continue as long as the beneficiary remains disabled, although marriage can affect eligibility. A child does not need to have worked to receive disabled adult child benefits.
SSDI for Children Eligibility
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is another type of federal program for which children may be eligible to receive benefits. SSI benefits are typically awarded to people with low income and limited resources who are 65 years of age or older, blind, or disabled.
A child’s income and resources are considered in determining whether the child is eligible for SSI benefits. If a child’s income and resources or the income and resources of family members living in the child’s household are more than the allowed amount, the SSA will deny the child’s application for SSI benefits.
A child must meet all of the following requirements to be considered disabled and eligible for SSI:
- The child must not be blind or working or earning more than $1,180 a month as of 2018. A child who is blind must not be working or earning more than $1,970.
- The child must have a physical or mental condition, or a combination of conditions, that result in “marked and severe functional limitations.”
- The child’s condition must have been disabling, or be expected to be disabling, for at least 12 months, or the condition must be expected to result in death.
When a child has a qualifying disability listed in the SSA’s “Blue Book,” they may begin receiving SSI benefits right away.
Children’s Health Insurance Program
It can be difficult enough for people to secure SSD or SSI benefits for themselves, but applying for children can be even more challenging. Children who receive SSI benefits also receive Medicaid, and even children who do not receive SSI benefits can still get health insurance from the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).
The Kentucky Children’s Health Insurance Program (KCHIP) provides free or low-cost health insurance to children younger than 19 years of age. Children are eligible if their families have incomes that are less than 213 percent of the federal poverty level.
For 2018, the KCHIP income limits were as follows:
| Number of Family Members | Total Monthly Family Income | Total Annual Family Income |
| 1 | $2,205 | $26,465 |
| 2 | $2,990 | $35,883 |
| 3 | $3,775 | $45,300 |
| 4 | $4,560 | $54,718 |
| 5 | $5,345 | $64,135 |
| 6 | $6,129 | $75,553 |
| 7 | $6,914 | $82,971 |
| 8 | $7,699 | $92,388 |
For family units of more than eight members, $785 is added per month for each additional member.
If you need assistance filing an SSD claim in Kentucky, it is in your best interest to make sure you have legal representation. An experienced attorney can increase your chances of obtaining full benefits and may be able to help you obtain these benefits faster than you would be able to on your own.
Contact a Kentucky Social Security Attorney Now for Help With a Child’s SSD Claim
The Paul Baker Law Office handles SSD claims for clients all over the greater Barbourville area. Call us or contact us online to have one of our lawyers provide a complete evaluation of your case during a free consultation.
