As a parent of a child with special needs, you may want to exhaust every resource to ensure their condition is well cared for. This may mean giving them access to proper medical attention, extra educational aid, and general assistance in their daily activities. Of course, all of these things will cost you money, so you may want to seek financial aid through one of the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) programs. Understandably, it can be difficult to navigate this system and determine exactly what your child qualifies for and how to get them approved for it. Well, for this, please continue reading to learn whether your child is eligible to collect Social Security benefits for their special needs and how an experienced New Jersey SSDI benefits lawyer at The Law Offices of Sheryl Gandel Mazur can help you execute this effectively.
Can my child receive Social Security benefits if they have special needs?
Notably, your child with special needs may be eligible to receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. This is essentially a monthly financial assistance program for qualified individuals, like children, whose disabilities create serious limits on their daily functioning. Specifically, on top of an official medical diagnosis, you may collect proof on your child’s behalf that demonstrates how their symptoms severely interfere with their ability to learn, interact socially with others, be physically mobile, regulate their behavior, and/or care for themselves independently. With that said, conditions frequently approved by the SSA include autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, seizure disorders, developmental delays, congenital conditions, etc.
Does my income affect my child’s SSI eligibility?
Unlike Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, SSI is a need-based program. This means that not only must your child have qualifying special needs, but the SSA also considers the suitability of your household’s financial situation. This is to say that, yes, parental income may be a weighty factor in your child’s SSI eligibility. Well, you may feel better knowing that the SSA uses a process known as “deeming,” which counts a portion of parental income and resources as belonging to the child. In other words, the SSA ignores part of your finances when calculating your countable income and resources.
Therefore, your child with special needs must have less than $2,000 worth of unearned income via cash, bank accounts, and stocks. Not countable towards this are your home, one car, household goods, and personal belongings. Importantly, the SSA also considers whether your child receives financial help from other relatives, whether your child lives in two households (given a standing joint custody agreement), whether you have another adult (stepparent) helping you pay your rent, utilities, and other bills, and much more.
If this is what you are currently up against, do not try to put up a fight without the legal assistance of a skilled New Jersey SSDI benefits lawyer from The Law Offices of Sheryl Gandel Mazur. We urge you to retain our services as soon as possible.
