Overview of Requirements for SSI for Children

Supplemental Security Income or SSI for children is generally determined for the same medical conditions that adults are processed for.

The program was done for the benefit of disabled children who may have to depend on their parents their whole lives.

To be qualified for SSI for children, the child has to meet the following requirements:

• The child should either be under the age of 18 or under the age of 22 but is a student who is regularly attending school.
• The child should have a mental or physical impairment that severely limits his functions.
• The disabling mental or physical impairment is expected to last for more than 12 months
• A child, who is blind, according to the standards applied to adults, may also qualify for SSI for children.

The criteria for determining a child’s disability is almost the same as that of the adults.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) uses a disability handbook that contains the eligibility requirements concerning different ailments related to:

• Digestive system
• Cardio-vascular system
• Muscular-skeletal system
• Respiratory system
• Immune system
• Neoplastic illnesses
• Mental and neurological disorders
• Growth impairments

The main difference in the criteria for adult and children is the section about growth impairments that do not apply to adults.

In terms of the ability to perform substantial gainful activity, since the child is not working, the SSA will find other ways to determine their residual functions such as their performance at school.

Now for the income and resources requirement for SSI for children, the SSA has this concept called deeming.

Deeming refers to counting all or part of the income of a parent, or step parent as part of income available for the child.

This will be deducted and used to compute the income and resources requirement of SSI for children.

Deeming from the parents stop when:

• The child reaches 18
• The child gets married
• The child no longer lives with parent

One more thing to remember is that even if the child gets approved for SSI, he or she would still be reevaluated for impairments based on the criteria for adults.

Consult a Social Security Disability Lawyer for more information.



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