By Vonda Van Til
Social Security Public Affairs Specialist
Did you know that Social Security’s Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program provides cash payments to children with disabilities whose families have limited income and resources?
A child must meet all of the following disability requirements to be considered medically eligible for SSI:
- The child, if not blind, must not be working or earning more than $1,350 a month in 2022. If the child is blind, they must not be working or earning more than $2,260 in 2022. The earning amounts usually change every year to keep up with inflation.
- The child must have a medical condition(s), 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 last for at least a year or expected to result in death.
Some older teenagers may have part-time jobs or are involved in work programs, which may affect eligibility to SSI. In addition, if an unmarried child under age 18 is living at home, we may consider some of the parents’ income as the child’s income. We make allowances for the parents and their other children living in the home when we consider the parents’ income. You can learn more about children’s benefits in our publication, Benefits for Children with Disabilities at www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05- 10026.pdf.
We also help children – and adults – through our Compassionate Allowances program. Compassionate Allowances are a way to quickly identify conditions that, by definition, meet our standard for disability benefits. You can read the list of conditions at www.ssa.gov/compassionateallowances/conditions.ht m. Compassionate Allowances can help reduce the wait time for us to make a disability determination for children with the most serious disabilities. Thousands of children receive benefits because they have a condition on this list, but children with conditions not on this list can still qualify for SSI.
If you are or know a parent, guardian, caregiver, or representative of a child you think may be eligible, visit our Disability Benefits – Apply for a Child (Under Age 18) at www.ssa.gov/ssikids to learn more and begin an application.
More SSI Information:
Question:
I want to sign up for a Medicare Part C and D plan, but I’m not sure which plan I want. Is there a resource to help me find a plan?
Answer:
Yes. Medicare.gov has an online plan finder and instructions available on how to use this tool. To access the Medicare Plan Finder, please visit www.medicare.gov/find-aplan/questions/home.aspx.
Question:
I have medical coverage through my employer. Do I have to take Medicare Part B?
Answer:
You are not required to take Medicare Part B if you are covered by a group healthcare plan based on either your employment or the employment of a spouse. When your coverage ends, you may contact Social Security to request a special enrollment for Medicare Part B. We will need to verify your coverage through your employer in order for you to be eligible for a special enrollment. For more information, visit www.medicare.gov.
Question:
I applied for Medicare benefits last week. How can I check the status of my application?
Answer:
You can check the application status online with your personal my Social Security account at www.ssa.gov/signin, but you must wait five days from the date you originally filed. If you are unable to check your status online, call us at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Question:
I worked for many years before I became disabled, but I didn’t have enough recent work to receive Social Security Disability (SSDI) payments. I receive SSI only. Will I ever receive Social Security payments?
Answer:
It depends. If you have at least 40 quarters of coverage, you can be eligible for Social Security retirement payments beginning at age 62. Additionally, if you are performing some work while you are on SSI, you may become currently insured for disability payments in the future. There are other ways you could become eligible for Social Security benefits, including benefits through a spouse or a divorced spouse. For more information, call 1- 800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800- 325-0778) or contact your local Social Security office.
Question:
My daughter receives SSI and child support from her father. Does the child support have to be reported?
Answer:
Yes. The child support your daughter receives is countable income for SSI purposes. As with any income received for an individual or a parent, if the child is under 18, it needs to be reported to your local Social Security office. For more information regarding the SSI program, visit www.ssa.gov/disabilityssi/s si.html.
Vonda Van Til is the Public Affairs Specialist for West Michigan. Write her c/o Social Security Administration, 3045 Knapp NE, Grand Rapids MI 49525 or via email at vonda.vantil@ssa.gov.
