Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits provide crucial financial support to families of children with disabilities and limited financial resources. Benefits can make a major difference in affording daily expenses and the costs of a child’s specialized care.
Caring for a child with a serious health condition, a developmental delay or a mental health impairment brings unique joys and constant worry that other parents can hardly imagine—moments of love and connection mixed with visits to the doctor, therapy sessions, medications and extra time and support at school.
Then there are the bills: groceries, gas, rent, electricity, water. All on top of the medical and educational costs of raising a child with a disability.
This is hard for any family. When parents struggle financially, it’s overwhelming. This is why children’s SSI disability benefits exist.
But disability benefits are hard to secure. Social Security runs the SSI program and has been denying about 64 percent of all SSI applications. The agency recently tightened its internal review process to address a backlog of cases, which could lead to more denials.
You don’t have to chase SSI benefits alone. Nash Disability Law helps families seek financial relief from SSI for children.
Many disability law firms focus only on adult Social Security Disability benefits. Nash Disability Law values helping families of children with special needs, too.
We can help you tackle the paperwork, gather evidence and fight for your family.
Nash Disability Law has helped thousands of people in Chicago, Aurora, Naperville, Joliet, Elgin, Waukegan, Gary and across Illinois and Northwest Indiana.
We want to see you get the support you need to help your child thrive.
We provide our services for no fee until you secure benefits.
WE’VE HELPED MORE PEOPLE IN THE CHICAGO AREA WIN BENEFITS THAN ANY OTHER LAW FIRM.
To qualify for childhood disability benefits, your child and household must meet Social Security’s two requirements:
To understand your financial eligibility, Social Security will want to know your total household income and any other resources you have, such as savings, property, investments or benefits from other programs.
A one-parent household can’t have more than $2,000 in savings and other assets. A two-parent household can’t have more than $3,000.
Your primary home and your one vehicle don’t count, but a second car would.
The current earnings limit depends on whether you have a single-parent household or two-parent household and how many children you have. The income limit changes over time.
For your child to meet the health-related requirements for SSI, they must:
One step is that Social Security will check whether your child’s condition is listed in its directory of medical impairments that qualify for disability benefits. Social Security keeps a special list of impairments for children, separate from the list it uses for adult disability benefits.
But if your child’s impairment isn’t on the list, don’t give up.
Social Security allows for other diagnoses if the medical evidence shows the child has an “extreme” limitation in one, or a “marked” limitation in two of the following areas of functioning compared to a typical child their age:
Nash Disability Law can help you gather the necessary information and build a strong case to put your family on better financial footing with children’s SSI benefits.
Start with a FREE children’s SSI disability evaluation.
Taking your word for it is not how Social Security operates.
To prove your child is eligible for SSI benefits, you will need to provide detailed, written reports from medical professionals about your child’s limits and abilities compared to other kids their age.
Documents Social Security will want to see include:
Too many SSI applications are denied on technicalities. A missing record. A field left blank. You can avoid these mistakes when a skilled disability lawyer helps you through the process.
At Nash Disability Law, we value the close-knit families that make Chicago and its surrounding communities such great places to live.
Our disability law firm was founded in the 1980s with the goal of helping families in financial need because of medical issues.
This personal approach is partly why we help with SSI for children when other firms might not.
Every parent raising a child with special needs wants every support they can get for their child to grow and develop.
But it costs money. SSI for children could help offset some of the costs of taking care of a child with disabilities.
Therapies beyond what insurance covers: speech, occupational, physical and more
Equipment: wheelchairs, adaptive strollers, standing frames, orthotics and braces, hearing aids, communication devices, bath and toileting safety equipment, hospital beds, feeding pumps and more
Home modifications: ramps, grab bars, widened doorways, door alarms and safety fencing, safety locks, sensory-friendly spaces, air filtration and more
Transportation to care: Mileage and gas, hospital parking, special-needs car seats, vehicle modifications or a lift
Special daily living costs: Incontinence supplies, specialized formula, restricted diets, adaptive clothing, weighted blankets and sensory items
Childcare and respite: Specialized childcare, respite care so a parent can work or rest, one-on-one aides, summer programs
School supports: tutoring, independent educational evaluations, advocates for individualized education program (IEP) meetings
Household basics: rent, groceries, utilities, gas, higher water and electric bills from extra laundry or running medical equipment
Lost parental income: replacement for having to cut hours or leave jobs to provide care for your child
And here are two more important financial considerations for families of children with disabilities seeking SSI for children:
Disability benefits for children can make a major difference in your family’s life and your child’s future.
Nash Disability Law can help you secure the best available support for your child.
CONTACT US TODAY TO TAlk about
YOUR disability case!
What conditions qualify a child for SSI disability benefits?
Social Security keeps a list of qualifying impairments for children that’s different from its adult impairments list. It covers physical conditions, developmental delays and mental health impairments. If your child’s condition isn’t on the list, you can still qualify by documenting their severe functional limitations.
Can I get SSI for an autistic child?
Yes. Autism spectrum disorder appears on Social Security’s list of impairments for children, but a diagnosis alone isn’t enough. You’ll need medical and school records showing your child has significant limitations in areas like interacting and relating with others, caring for themselves and completing tasks. Your household finances must also fall within SSI’s limits.
How much can my family earn and still qualify for children’s SSI?
SSI is need-based, so Social Security looks at your whole household. Income limits depend on whether you’re a one- or two-parent household and how many children you have, and they change over time. There are also asset limits—$2,000 for a one-parent household and $3,000 for two parents—though your primary home and one vehicle don’t count. And for a child with disabilities, you could save more in an ABLE account.
How do I apply for SSI for a child?
You apply through Social Security, but the application is only the beginning. You’ll need medical records, school files including IEPs and evaluations, and detailed statements about the daily support your child requires. Many claims are denied over technicalities—a missing record or a blank field—which is where a disability lawyer can help you avoid costly mistakes.
What can I spend my child’s SSI benefits on?
SSI is unrestricted cash, so it can go toward whatever your family needs. Families often use it for therapies that insurance won’t fully cover, equipment like wheelchairs and communication devices, home modifications, transportation to appointments, specialized childcare and ordinary household bills.
What happens to my child’s SSI when they turn 18?
Social Security re-examines the case under adult disability rules, a process called an age-18 redetermination. Instead of comparing your child with other children their age, like it does for children’s SSI, Social Security now asks whether they can work at a substantial level as an adult. This is treated as a brand-new decision.
Also at 18, parental income and resources stop counting against SSI limits on financial means. This increases the chances of eligibility for many people. It also could mean a recipient’s payment amount goes up when they become an adult.
If your child’s benefits stop when they turn 18, they can appeal that decision. But you have a short window of just 10 days keep benefits going. If the appeal is filed by then, benefits continue while Social Security considers the case. You can still appeal a benefits denial for up to 60 days.
Thank you so very much for your help with my disability claim. Please thank each and everyone who helped in getting this done. Every time I had questions and had to call you for advice, whomever I spoke with at the time was very helpful and polite and most of all caring. Thank you so very much.
Thank you for all your help with my disability case. I felt very confident after discussing my claim with your attorneys. The representation I had for my court date was wonderful. I know I couldn’t have done all that you did on my own . I am very appreciative for all the hard work, time and care you gave to me!
