Disability Benefits for Children of Disabled Parents: What You Need to Know

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If you are a parent with a disability that makes it difficult for you to retain employment, you may be worried about financially providing for your children, step-children or, in some cases, grandchildren. You may even fret about the ability to stretch your current disability benefits payments to pay for your family’s expenses.

The good news: depending on your circumstances, your children may also qualify for disability benefits, whether through your Social Security record or in their own right. However, there are distinctions when it comes to Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

In general, the SSDI program is based on the work history of an individual whose disability impacts one’s ability to work. If your disability prevents you from making a certain amount of income per month (this limit changes yearly), and you have qualifying work history, you may qualify for monthly SSDI cash benefits.

SSDI recipients may also receive auxiliary benefits for their children (biological or adopted), stepchildren or dependent grandchildren. Your child must fulfill the following criteria to receive auxiliary SSDI benefits on your record:

They must be unmarried.
They must be under 18, or,
Be 18-19 years old and a full-time student (no higher than high school), or,
Be 18 or older and disabled from a disability that started before age 22.

Unless your child is also disabled, benefits stop when they reach 18. However, children who are still full time students in school at age 18 will continue to receive benefits until graduation from high school or until two months after they turn 19, whichever happens first.

If your child is age 18 or older, has a disability that started before age 22, they may qualify for a Disabled Adult Child Benefits claim.

Child Claims and Supplemental Security Income

The SSI program does not offer similar auxiliary benefits. However, if your child is also disabled, and you and your child have little in the way of income or resources, your disabled child may be eligible for monthly SSI payments.

For your child to qualify, they would have to meet Social Security’s definition of disability for children. In other words, your child’s disability must seriously limit their activities and last, or be expected to last, at least a year or result in death.

If you are filing an SSI claim on behalf of your child, keep in mind that both yours and your child’s income and resources are taken into consideration. Income and resources of other family members may be taken into consideration. Read further information on SSI claims for children.

If you are a parent with a disability and want to know if your child can get additional benefits, contact a Social Security disability attorney today. Our consultations are free, and there are no upfront costs for our services. Call us at 833-MY-DISABILITY (833-693-4722) today.