Disability

Social Security Benefits for Children with Disabilities

September 24, 2020 • By

Reading Time: 1 Minute

Last Updated: July 19, 2021

SSA’s Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program helps children with qualifying disabilities and their families. For this program, a child must meet all of the following requirements to be considered disabled and medically eligible:

 

  • The child must have a medical condition, or a combination of conditions, that result in “marked and severe functional limitations.” This means that the condition(s) must very seriously limit the child’s activities.
  • The child’s condition(s) must have been disabling, or be expected to be disabling, for at least 12 months; or the condition(s) must be expected to result in death.

Compassionate Allowances are a way we quickly identify diseases and other medical conditions that, by definition, meet Social Security’s standards for disability benefits. Thousands of children receive benefits because they have one of the conditions on the list.

A child must also meet other eligibility requirements. Since we only pay SSI to disabled people with low income and limited resources, a child, who is not blind, must not be working or earning more than $1,260 a month in 2020. A child who is blind must not be working or earning more than $2,110. This earnings amount usually changes every year. In addition, if the parents of the child or children have more resources than are allowed, then the child or children will not qualify for SSI. You can read more about children’s benefits by reading our publication, Benefits for Children with Disabilities.

Visit Parents and Guardians page to learn more about all we do to care for children. Please share these resources if you know a family or friend who needs our help.

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About the Author

Darlynda Bogle, Assistant Deputy Commissioner

Darlynda Bogle, Assistant Deputy Commissioner

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Comments

  1. MissChievousRN

    My daughter is deployed overseas and we are full time guardians of her disabled child who currently receives SSI benefits. Those benefits go directly to her. Shouldn’t they be going to support and care for her son who is in our custody? How do we remedy this issue if she isn’t amenable to doing the right thing?

    • Vonda

      Thanks for the question. If you are not the representative payee for your grandchild that lives with you, you should call us. You can call us at 1-800-772-1213 for assistance or you can contact your local Social Security office. Please look for the general inquiry telephone number at the Social Security Office Locator. The number may appear under Show Additional Office Information. Also, if you are interested in applying to be a representative payee, you should read our publication: A Guide For Representative Payees to understand a representative payees responsibilities. We hope this helps!

  2. Debra J.

    If my husband passes away will I be able to collect on his Social Security even if we have been married less than ten years? My cousin said I can’t.

    • Vonda

      We are very sorry for your loss, Debra. If you are the divorced spouse of a worker who dies, you could get benefits the same as a widow or widower, provided that your marriage lasted 10 years or more. If you were married when your husband passed away, the duration of marriage requirement is typically 9 months immediately preceding the day on which the worker died. Check out our Surviving Divorced Spouse web page for more details.

  3. Marvin K.

    january 2021payment for my childs ssi should be based on November wages but i receved letter stating because my wife made 6000last january we wouldnt receive january payment. the assumption of what mt wife will make in january would effect march payment not january but thats what letter stated and case worker has not helped explaining this

    • Vonda

      For your security, Marvin, we do not have access to private information in this venue. We ask that members in our Blog community work with our offices with specific questions. You can call us at 1-800-772-1213 for assistance or you can call your local Social Security office. Please look for the general inquiry telephone number at the Social Security Office Locator. The number may appear under Show Additional Office Information. Please be aware that our call wait times are longer than normal. We hope this information helps.

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  5. Ashley

    My daughter passed away whom was receiving disablity benefits. After her passing was ther not any resources ssi should have givien to help financially not even a help with funeral costs plus COVID was here

    • Vonda

      We are very sorry for your loss, Ashley. Check out our Frequently Asked Questions web page for details on who can get survivor benefits and how to apply for them. We hope this helps!

  6. jasmine w.

    how do i apply my child for ssi

    • Vonda

      Hi Jasmine, thanks for using our blog. SSI makes monthly payments to people with low income and limited resources who are 65 or older, or blind, or disabled. Your child, if younger than age 18, can qualify if they have a medical condition or combination of conditions that meets Social Security’s definition of disability for children, and if the child’s income and resources fall within the eligibility limits. Check out the publication Benefits for Children with Disabilities for more details.

      If you would like to apply for your child, you can call us call us at 1-800-772-1213 for assistance or you can contact your local Social Security office. Please look for the general inquiry telephone number at the Social Security Office Locator. The number may appear under Show Additional Office Information. Please be aware that our call wait times are longer than normal. We hope this information helps.

  7. Laura W.

    I applied for ssi for my infant on may also and i acquired a letter pronouncing that i need to bring fowl to a special examination appointment so we went

  8. Margaret

    I applied for ssi for my child on may and i received a letter saying that i need to bring hen to a special examination appointment so we went
    After that i was checking my social security account and I realized that my child is there as a beneficiary so i click there and says that hes not receiving Supplemental Security Income payments so am confused what that means

  9. Romabella T.

    Good day,

    I am a disabled person and I got approved of disability benefits.

    The question I have is, since I got approved this October 2020 and my first payment is on the 18th of November 2020. It is retro active pay.

    I’ve been on hold for an hour now. Please advise.

    V/r
    Romabella D. Ty-Arcangel

    • Vonda V.

      For your security, Romabella, we do not have access to private information in this venue. We ask that members in our Blog community work with our offices with specific questions. You can call us at 1-800-772-1213 for assistance or you can contact your local Social Security office. Please look for the general inquiry telephone number at the Social Security Office Locator. The number may appear under Show Additional Office Information. Please be aware that our call wait times are longer than normal. We hope this information helps.

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  10. Amy

    My husband & I have an open investigation with CPS on his 2 younger children and we didn’t know that the mother was obtaining a Social Security check for his 10 year old son. Can he request the records as to what disability he has as mother has not shared this information. We currently have the 2 children in our care until the CPS investigation is complete. Please advise.

    • Vonda V.

      Thanks for the question, Amy. If the children are living with you, you may want to consider being their representative payee. You can call us at 1-800-772-1213 for assistance or you can contact your local Social Security office. Please look for the general inquiry telephone number at the Social Security Office Locator. The number may appear under Show Additional Office Information. Also, whoever is interested in applying to be their representative payee may want to read our publication: A Guide For Representative Payees to understand a representative payees responsibilities. We hope this helps!

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