Can my child get SSI benefits and Medicaid?

Chances are that if your child qualifies for childhood disability benefits through Supplemental Security Income (SSI), they will also qualify for Medicaid health care coverage.

This means you could get both monthly income from Childhood SSI to help support the care and education of your child with health impairments—and you could get access to affordable services for their medical needs at the same time.

A major reason that you’ll likely get both is that both program require you to show that your household income and financial resources are limited. So meeting the economic requirements for one probably means you will meet the requirements for the other.

The Chicago disability attorneys at Nash Disability Law help parents and families apply for financial assistance through children’s SSI every day. Keep reading for more on how SSI and Medicaid work together.

How Do the Medicaid and Childhood SSI Requirements Work in Illinois?

In addition to your child having qualifying medical conditions, to get Childhood SSI, your family must meet these income limits:

• Earned household income of $39,612 or less for a single parent (2021 update)
• Earned household income of $49,140 or less for a two-parent family (2021 update)

Social Security has an income chart that shows eligible incomes for various family sizes. It adjusts the numbers from year to year.

But as a general rule, we tell families in the Chicago area that qualifying for Medicaid will also qualify you for children’s SSI disability benefits.

The same is true if you qualify for food stamps or state assistance—you’ll also meet the financial requirements for SSI.
And it works both ways. If you qualify for SSI first, in Illinois you will qualify for Medicaid.

Different states have different rules on Medicaid. In Illinois, you’ll need to file a separate application for Medicaid.

But on your application, you can often show proof of your child’s eligibility for SSI in order to get approved for Medicaid.

Your child’s eligibility for Medicaid starts the same month that they become eligible for SSI.

Getting Help with SSI Benefits for Children in Chicago

The process of getting SSI benefits for your child can be cumbersome. Many people get denied.

You have to provide medical records of your child’s disability and possibly documents showing how their school addresses their special needs.

That’s in addition to financial records showing your household income.

But a disability lawyer can take on much of this work for you, helping you navigate SSI and Medicaid and making the process easier.

Then once you get the benefits, it makes life easier for you and your family.

Nash Disability Law has helped thousands of families through the disability benefits process. In fact, we’ve helped more Chicago area people get disability benefits than any other law firm.

If you’re concerned about how you’ll pay the cost of a disability attorney for your child’s SSI claim, remember: You pay no fee for an SSI lawyer until you win benefits.