SSI Disability Benefits for Children

Work With an Experienced Tampa Disability Attorney  

If your child is impaired due to a disability, then there’s a good chance that they are eligible to receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA).  These benefits could significantly help your household by helping cover expenses related to the disability, from additional care requirements to special education costs and beyond.

Eligibility for SSI Benefits — Children

Children are eligible for SSI benefits if they:

• Are disabled — in other words, have a medically determinable physical or mental impairment that results in marked and severe functional limitations;
• Are under the age of 18, or are under the age of 22 (and are a student who regularly attends school); and
• Meet the income cap requirements for SSI benefits.

It’s worth noting that there is no minimum age requirement for SSI benefits.  If a child is born with a disability, they may be eligible to receive SSI benefits (assuming all other requirements are met).

Whether the child is married or not (or is even the head of their own household), is irrelevant for the purpose of eligibility.  It’s not critical that the child be a dependent.  A 20-year old individual could be married and living independently from their parents, and still receive SSI benefits if they are disabled and attend school regularly.

Deeming Issues

Deeming occurs when the income of an individual who isn’t eligible for SSI benefits is counted towards the total income amount for the individual applying for SSI benefits.

In the child SSI context, deeming is typically associated with parental income.  For example, if a single, disabled child is living in the home of a parent whose total annual income is $100,000, then the child would likely be rendered ineligible for SSI benefits due to “deeming” — the SSA maintains a deeming eligibility chart which lists the income amounts necessary for SSI eligibility.

The exact formula for calculating deeming eligibility — and for calculating the amount of SSI benefits available to the disabled child — is rather complex and fact-specific, and as such, it’s important to consult a qualified attorney for guidance on what you should expect to receive from the SSA.

Contact at Tampa Disability Attorney for Assistance

Here at the Office of Mike Murburg, P.A., we have decades of experience working with SSI claimants, helping them to submit a claim for benefits and to avoid an adverse decision by the SSA.  Where the SSA does choose to deny benefits (or minimize the available benefits), we are ready and willing to step in and challenge that decision.

SSI benefits are not only available to adults — in many cases, disabled children may be eligible for such benefits too.  This can ease the burden on the family and make it significantly easier to manage the child’s disability (as it may allow a parent to spend more time taking care of the disabled child without worrying about balancing additional hours at work to earn the same income).

As such, if a child could qualify for SSI benefits under the law, it’s worth exploring that possibility to its fullest extent.

If you’d like to speak to a qualified Tampa disability attorney at Murburg Law, call 813-264-5363 or submit a message through our website to schedule a free and confidential consultation today.