Information for parents of disabled people transitioning into adulthood.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a government program that provides monthly income to people with disabilities (or who are over 65) with limited or no income to help them meet their basic needs, like food and shelter. SSI is a federal program but the states administer it. States have the option of providing additional funds and/or automatic health insurance through Medicaid. To qualify, the person applying must have limited income and resources and meet the government’s definition of disabled.
When to Apply
A person with a disability from childhood should begin the process when they turn 18. Even if they were denied SSI as a child, they may reapply as an adult. In most cases, as a child, the parent’s income is used to determine qualification. As an adult, only their income will be taken into account.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) will begin the eligibility date once you contact them. Payments begin in the month after the contact date or the month after you meet eligibility, whichever is later. So, if your child turned 18 in August but you don’t start the application until October, payments can begin in November. If your child turned 18 in August and you start the application in August, payments can begin in September.
Even if your child is still gathering paperwork, they should start the application so they start the clock on their eligibility. SSI will back pay to the contact date. You can start the application online or by calling 1.800.722.1213 (or TTY 1.800.325.0778) to make an appointment. For this part of the process, you will need the applicant’s name, birth date, Social Security number, mailing address, phone number, and email address (optional) for the person applying. If you help with the application, they will ask for your information, too.
An SSA representative will schedule an appointment. They will send information for an appointment by email and mail. Follow the instructions and be sure to keep your appointment. If you need to change the appointment or have questions, call SSA. Do not skip the appointment. Even if all the paperwork is not complete, go to the appointment. SSA will help you with the remaining paperwork.
How to Apply
If your (adult) child needs help with the application, they have options:
- If they want help completing forms or gather information, they can choose someone to help them. There is no paperwork required.
- If they want help from you or another adult for the application process, they need to fill out this form. This allows the person listed to be the representative of this process only. The representative can file forms, receive information about the claim, and speak to and provide SSA with information. The applicant is not giving up any of their rights. This representative may not receive or use any of the funds if they approve the application.
- If they need accommodations, the SSA office will work with you to provide them.
- If you have Guardianship, bring the paperwork with you to the SSA meeting. Obviously, you have the legal right to complete the paperwork and receive information.
What you Need
The applicant must provide their social security number at the time of the SSA appointment. They will also need to provide proof of age (birth certificate), proof of citizenship (birth certificate, passport, or naturalization papers), and proof of income (if they have never worked, you don’t need to prove this). These are the easy proofs needed.
The others can get complicated or may take more time to find. They need proof of resources. This means they must have all bank statements, deed(s) for any properties, life insurance policies, burial contracts, CD’s, stocks, mutual funds, bonds, and title/registration for vehicles. If they are just turning 18, some of these probably won’t apply. SSA will just need to be informed that they do not apply. SSA should be notified of any accounts with the applicant’s (your disabled child) social security number associated with it. This includes savings bonds even if they have another person listed as a co-owner. SSA will check for anything connected to the applicant’s social security number.
They will need to see proof of living arrangement. They will inquire whether the applicant owns their own home, rents from someone, or has shelter provided for free. If they own a home, SSA will need to see the deed. If they are renting, SSA will need to see a lease agreement or rent receipt. If shelter is at no cost, it won’t affect their eligibility, but it will affect how much money they receive from SSI.
The most important and usually the most complicated part is providing medical information. SSA requires medical reports, information on doctors (addresses/contact information), and medical treatments with dates, prescription and non-prescription drugs taken. This is the applicant’s chance to prove they meet SSA’s definition of disabled. Someone can have a disability but still not receive SSI payments because the disability does not affect their life significantly.
It is important to not take for granted that they will approve the applicant. Send as much detailed information on the impairment as possible. In addition, they will take an IEP or psychological report from a school evaluation, but they need more than that information.
They need to see original documents or a certified copy from the original source, but no photocopies. SSA will make copies and return the originals to you.
What is Next
The SSA office determines income and resource eligibility first. If that is met, then they send the claim to the state Disability Determination Service (DDS). DDS determines if the applicant is disabled by the SSA definition. They made their determination with the information provided. They will contact doctors, hospitals, teachers, therapists, etc. for any clarification needed.
DDS needs objective medical evidence to establish if the applicant has a medically determinable impairment. That is why all medical information is required. They will evaluate if the impairment significantly limits the physical or mental ability to do basic work, decide if it meets or medically equals a Social Security listing (referred to as the Blue Book), and determine if the impairment will last over 12 months. They approve the applicant if they meet this criterion. If the impairment is severe but does not meet or equal a condition in the listing, they need more steps to determine what you can physically and mentally do.
This can take 3-4 months to process. The more organized you are and provide all the information, the quicker it will go. For more information, review the checklist provided by SSA.