Is There Social Security Disability For Children?There is no Social Security Disability program for children because Social Security is based upon insured status and insured status can only be gained through work activity--which children have obviously done very little of, or simply have no work activity. Social Security benefits are, however, paid to the children of disabled wage earners if they themselves have worked enough prior to becoming disabled for there to be money payable for their dependents. However, these are dependent benefits not disability benefits. SSI Disability and Children Although children cannot apply for Social disability benefits, Social Security does administer another disability program that does provide benefits to children as long as they are medically disabled and can meet the non-medical disability criteria of the program (meaning, in essence, that their parents do not earn too much and that their parent's assets, a.k.a. resources, do not exceed the allowable limits). Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability offers disability benefits to children whose parent or parents meet certain income and resource limits. SSI uses children's parental income and resources if they are younger than eighteen years of age. This changes once an SSI beneficiary reaches the age of 18. At the age of 18, all children's SSI disability claims are reevaluated under adult impairment listing criteria. And if they are found disabled, their SSI disability benefits will no longer be affected by their parent's income and resources. SSI offers disability benefits to children found medically disabled. Once they begin receiving their benefits, their eligibility will be periodically reviewed to determine if their parent, or parents, still meet the income and resource limits. In addition to periodic reviews for income and resources, SSI beneficiaries are subject to continuing disability medical reviews, just like Social Security Disability beneficiaries. Remember SSI disability is like other social programs; therefore eligibility to receive benefits totally depends upon income and resource limits. Even if the child remains medically disabled, their disability benefits could be stopped if their parent's income and resource limits are over the program's limits. Although Social Security does not have a disability program for children, they do have rules that allow an adult disabled child to receive disability benefits based upon their parent's earnings record. An adult disabled child must be found medically disabled between the ages of 18 and 22 in order to receive disability benefits based upon their parent's earnings. There are a couple of rules that affect entitlement to adult disabled child's benefits. One or both of the adult child's parents must be receiving a benefit from Social Security, or be deceased, for an adult disabled child to receive disability benefits. Additionally, if the person filing as a disabled adult child performed substantial gainful work activity after the age of 22, or if they marry anyone other than another Social Security Disability beneficiary, they are not eligible to receive benefits based upon their parent's earnings record. About the Author: Tim Moore is a former Social Security Disability Examiner in North Carolina, has been interviewed by the NY Times and the LA Times on the disability system, and is an Accredited Disability Representative (ADR) in North Carolina. 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