DISABILITY IN CHILDREN

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Caring for your mentally or physically disabled child can be expensive. Fortunately, there may be financial benefits available to help.
If your child is disabled, he or she may be able to receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability benefits or Disabled Child benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA)

 

To qualify for SSI Child Disability benefits, your child must:

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• Be under the age of 18,

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• Meet household income and resource requirements, and​

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• Match SSA's definition of a disabled child.

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The SSA must first determine that your child is disabled and therefore qualified for SSI disability benefits.

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Disabled Child Disability Benefits require:

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• Parent who is disabled or retired,

• Disability is established prior to age 22

• Match SSA's definition of disabled child if under 18 or adult if older.

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To show disability, your child must:

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• Have a mental or physical condition that seriously impacts the child’s normal activities,

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• Document that the condition(s) must have lasted or is expected to last for 12 consecutive months, and

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• Meet assets and household income requirements for SSI claims.

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Qualifying for disability benefits for your child will require you to submit evidence. This may include specialized testing and document procurement. If your child has a mental disability or learning disability, including low IQ autism, or depression, the task of getting school records, test results and reports, and medical opinions needed to meet complicated SSA requirements may seem overwhelming to you. Our trained staff can arrange those things, freeing you up for the important work you do in raising your child.

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We explore with you any relevant physical and mental conditions that could help establish your claim and advise you as to obtaining this evidence to prove your disability.

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Some of the conditions and diseases that may qualify your child to receive disability benefits include:

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• ADHD

 

• Amputations

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• Asperger's Syndrome

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• Asthma

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• Autism

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• Burns

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• Cancer

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• Chronic liver disease

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• Cystic fibrosis

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• Disorders of the spine

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• Growth impairments

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• Heart transplants

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• HIV / AIDS

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• Kidney disorders

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• Learning disability

• Sickle Cell Anemia

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• Type I diabetes mellitus

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• Visual and hearing loss

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We will assemble all the documentation and evidence you need, communicate with SSA so you no longer need to speak with them and represent your child at any hearings necessary to resolve your case and successfully gain disability benefits for your child.

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The SSA does offer some help when you are applying for disability benefits for your child, but if things get complicated (if, for instance, SSA denies your child benefits), the Law Offices of Sima G. Aghai may be able to help.

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Don’t wait for your child's application for Supplemental Security Income benefits or Disabled Child benefits to be denied.  We are able to represent you at any stage of your claim.