Social Security has a program for certain children who are considered disabled.
You must qualify financially and medically to be paid Children’s SSI benefits.
Some children are severely disabled but are not eligible for SSI benefits because their parents make too much money.
If you qualify financially, then you must also meet the Social Security rules for disability status.
It is not enough to be eligible for special education services. There are many children who have Individualized Education Plans who do not qualify for SSI.
Social Security rules and law divides a child’s functioning into 6 different categories in determining disability:
Acquiring and Using Information;
Attending and completing tasks;
Interacting and relating with others;
Moving about and manipulating objects;
Caring for yourself; and
Health and Physical Well-Being.
You have to show marked limitations in 2 of these domains or severe limitations in 1 domain.
To prove limitations you will need doctors’ records and evaluations, teachers’ assessments and possibly testing from organizations such as Easter Seals or University studies.
A child may have a combination of problems such as cerebral palsy and depression, or ADHD and autism. What Social Security looks at is the severity of the condition and how it affects the child’s daily activities such as running, playing, getting along with others, learning, focusing, and communicating.
If you have any questions about Children’s SSI you should contact an experienced Social Security Disability lawyer.
Feel free to contact Illinois Social Security Disability Lawyer Dirk May with Williams and Swee at 309-827-4371.