At Jones Law Group, we understand how difficult it can be to make ends meet when you have a disabled child. Our experienced Ohio disability attorneys can help you understand your child’s rights and obtain the disability benefits he or she needs. Children qualify for benefits through the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program.
The Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program only provides benefits to disabled people who have worked and paid Social Security taxes long enough. There is no way that a child could have worked long enough to qualify for SSDI benefits, even if he or she is an adolescent with a few years of work experience. However, children with disabled parents may be eligible to receive dependents’ benefits.
SSDI benefits are also available to adults who have a disability that began before they turned 22 years old. These are considered child’s benefits because they are based on a parent’s Social Security earnings record. In order to qualify for this child benefit, however, one of a disabled adult’s parents must have received Social Security retirement or disability benefits, or one of the parents must be deceased and have worked longed enough under Social Security.
The SSI program is for low-income individuals with limited assets and resources. The income and resources of the child as well as those of family members the child lives with are considered when determining eligibility for SSI benefits. That means if the parents of a disabled child make above a certain amount of money, the child won’t qualify for the SSI program. The income and resources of family members may even be considered for a child under 18 who doesn’t live at home but goes home occasionally and is under the care of those family members while at home.
In addition to meeting the SSI program’s financial eligibility requirements, a child must meet the program’s medical eligibility requirements:
Children do not have to prove that they’re unable to return to work like adults do. Some conditions that may qualify your child for SSI disability benefits include ADHD, bipolar disorders, severe scoliosis, cognitive impairment, spinal disorders, juvenile diabetes, and organic mental disease.
The SSA compares your child’s condition to disability listings and assesses your child’s limitations. Functions that are evaluated in children include their ability to learn and use information, interact with others, walk and use their hands, and take care of themselves. A significant amount of medical evidence is required to prove that a child meets or equals a disability listing. Medical evidence requirements range from lab tests to doctors’ observations.
Call (614) 545-9998 or contact us online to schedule a free initial consultation with our disability attorneys in Ohio. Our knowledgeable attorneys can help you determine your child’s eligibility for Social Security disability benefits and pursue your child’s disability claim.
Social Security Benefits Increase in 2018
When the Social Security Administration announces the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), there’s usually an increase in the Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefit amount people receive each month. Federal benefit rates increase when the cost of living rises, as measured by the Department of Labor’s Consumer Price Index (CPI-W). The CPI-W rises when […]
READ MORE →Patrick Monday, April 2, 2018 A special thank you to Jones Law Group attorneys Kevin Larrimer and Nick Kolitsos for helping me with my STRS disability claim. They are both very competent and well versed in Ohio STRS disability law and were able to succeed in my claim where I was unable on my own. […]
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