Social Security Disability Benefits for Children
When researching the subject of disabled child Social Security benefits, parents and guardians may see a confusing array of descriptions noted for determining eligibility. For guidance throughout this process, consultations with social security disability attorneys should be sought. The Law Offices of Terri D. Mason can help you explain the process while seeking reliable results from the Social Security Administration (SSA).
Eligibility Criteria for Social Security Disability for Children
There’s a wide spectrum of criteria used to determine eligibility for children with disabilities.
- It must be proven that a disability exists by providing academic and medical records that support the evidence of the disability to receive Social Security disability child benefits.
- It must also be determined that the disability has lasted or will last for one year or more.
The final source responsible for deciding eligibility for child social security disability benefits is the SSA.
The ruling of a specific disability for a child under the age of 18 means that the child will begin receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI). An evaluation is done of mental and/or physical conditions, and it must be concluded that the child experiences perceptible or critical inadequacies that prevent them from functioning in a normal capacity.
The SSA is interested in learning about what these children can do but may have difficulty doing (or require help to complete) and what they can’t, possibly because they’re restricted from engaging in certain activities because of their impairment.
SSA Evaluation Standards
A disabled child will be assessed in the following areas in comparison to other children of the same age who don’t have any disabilities:
- Interacting with and relating to others
- Acquiring and using information
- Attending to and completing tasks
- Motor skills and handling objects
- Self-care
- Overall health and physical well being
There are also numerous medical conditions that are considered in the decision-making process, which can interfere with a child’s ability to function in a normal capacity. For instance, attention deficit disorders prevent children from remaining focused long enough to complete certain tasks. Children suffering from disorders that cause significant pain will also have trouble concentrating or becoming involved in many activities.
The SSA Deemed Eligibility Chart
This chart will clearly explain how the SSI disabled child social security benefits work. This chart also explains that depending on the resulting evaluation, children might be eligible to receive SSI benefits as early as their date of birth until they reach the age of 18 years old. If benefits continue until the age of 18, then at that time, the case is re-evaluated according to how it’s evaluated for disabled adults.
Regarding childhood disabilities, the term “deeming” is applied to the combination of the parents’ and other household members’ income and resources to decide whether the child meets the income and resource requirements to receive a monthly SSI benefit. Deductions are made from the deemed total household income to determine the amount of SSI payments for child Social Security disability benefits.
SSI Payments for Children With Disabilities
The SSA only pays SSI to low-income disabled recipients with limited resources. This means that if the parents or guardians of the disabled child have income and resources that exceed the allowable income limits, then they won’t receive an SSI monthly allowance even if the child is determined to be medically or physically disabled.
Compassionate Allowances
Certain extreme medical conditions and diseases are identified and recognized immediately by the SSA, which can reduce the waiting time for reaching a decision. For instance, Compassionate Allowances (CAL) can be given for rare disorders and cancer diagnoses once the medical proof has been established.
The SSA also relies on information from medical and scientific experts, along with other government agencies, to help them quickly identify potential cases for social security disability child benefits that warrant implementing the CAL initiative.
Will all these, an experienced Social Security disability attorney would be needed in going through this process. Contact the Law Offices of Terri D. Mason at (443) 948-7772. Our office will work tirelessly to inform you of what you need to know while getting your child the benefits they deserve.