Learn how to show financial need and level of disability to qualify autistic children under age 18 for Supplemental Security Income/SSI disability payments.

The purpose of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments is to help disabled people, or their families, who have limited financial resources. Children with certain disabilities can be eligible for Social Security disability benefits beginning from birth. In the case of parents with autistic children, this money tin help provide needed therapies and intendance to maximize a child'south abilities and strengths.

Benefits for Children with Autism

Applying for SSI is a two-step process of showing financial need and using medical evidence to demonstrate the level of disability.

Financial Need

The Social Security Administration provides Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments to disabled people with express financial resources. It is a needs-based program, meaning your family income and assets must fall beneath a certain level.

To come across the SSI's financial criteria, they first look at your total assets, or what they call resources. These are items you could sell if needed to provide food and shelter. However, in that location are many essential assets they don't count, such equally your personal car.  To qualify a child, the kid's countable assets must exist $2000 or less, and the parents' countable assets must be less than $2,000 if a single parent, or $3000 if information technology'due south a two-parent household. There are boosted rules that apply if a parent'south resources are over the limit, in which case the extra volition be attributed to the child'southward $2,000 limit. Some typical countable resources are cash on paw, and money in checking accounts and savings accounts.

Regarding income, the SSA measures your countable income confronting the maximum do good level; if the child'southward countable income including income deemed from his or her parents living in the same household less than the benefit level, yous will get the difference betwixt the maximum benefit and the countable income. In 2020, the highest federal SSI monthly payment was $783 for an individual child. Some states supplement that amount.

For a child, a portion of the parent's income is "accounted" to count equally the child's income. As with resources, there are types of income that are non counted, such as food stamps, and income received from foster intendance support. If your disabled kid receives kid support payments, the SSA will count two-thirds of that amount in your total income, and exclude one-3rd of it. If there are additional children in the business firm, there may be a reduction in the income otherwise countable.

In general, the Social Security Administration states that when single parents live with another adult who is not the child's other parent, the income from that person is not counted.  For the income of another adult to count, the two people accept to be legally married, or hold themselves out as a married couple to the public. Otherwise, if you have roommates who are adults that you are non married to, their income will not be counted. Their relationship to you doesn't matter, then they could be romantic interests, developed relatives, friends, or simply housemates – as long as y'all're not married or holding out and the other adult is not the disabled child's parent, SSA won't attribute their income to your child. Even so, if that person is providing the child with shelter or nutrient from them, your kid'southward benefit  may be reduced past free or subsidized shelter or food received from that other developed.

The financial requirements can exist very confusing. SSA encourages individuals to call their offices to assist go answers to your questions (see numbers below) and to file an application whenever at that place is a possibility of financial eligibility.

Disability Conclusion for Children Under 18

Children with sure disabilities can be eligible for Social Security disability benefits outset from birth. Considering autism is a Spectrum Disorder, whether children qualify for assistance will depend on the severity of their symptoms. To qualify for a inability rating, the SSA uses different criteria for children than for adults.

Children with severe autism limitations will by and large qualify. The SSA considers a child nether 18 to be "disabled" if they have a permanent physical or mental condition that very seriously limits their activities.

The Social Security Administration clarifies that weather must be established with medical bear witness. This means physician's documentation of symptoms, forth with lab results. A parent'due south ain list of symptoms is not enough alone to show the disability, but a parent tin help provide full details of the level of daily care and aid that the kid needs. Information technology's also helpful to include written statements from any professionals who work with your child and can attest to their challenges. These can include health care provides, teachers, or caretakers.

Childhood Disability Benefits (CDB) for Autism

We'll show you how adults who were disabled earlier age 22 can authorize for Childhood Disability Benefits if a parent is eligible to receive Social Security payments through retirement or death.

Beloved Benefits Counselor,

My daughter was diagnosed with autism when she was 4 years former.  She is now 18 years onetime and eligible for SSI.  Is she eligible to receive SSD based on me and her father's working and contributions to SSA?  If so, what would demand to be washed to switch from SSI to SSD?

Angie

Honey Angie,

If y'all or your daughter's father is receiving Social Security at present or her begetter is deceased, you can apply for childhood inability benefits (CDB) for your girl. If those weather are not now met, keep her medical records that establish the diagnosis and severity prior to age twenty-two. Later, when you or her father becomes entitled to benefits or dies, she can apply for CDB, bold that she is not married at that time.

Sincerely,

Benefits Advisor

SSI Do good for Two Children with Autism

Larn how people with astringent hearing loss can seek work modifications, either on their own or by securing a Social Security balance functional capability (RFC) rating to restrict piece of work weather.

Hello Benefits Advisor,

Our oldest son is receiving SSI due to Autism and we recently received a 2nd diagnosis of the disorder for our second child. Nosotros have just applied for SSI for him and are pending their determination.Assuming he gets qualified I have a couple of questions. First, we are currently receiving effectually $106 per calendar month for kid #1.  Using the formula that SSA provides us each month on how they determine his amount I came up with a ballpark effigy for ii children of $670 ($335 each).  Does this sound possible?  I make $3945 per month gross.  This is earned income and the simply income for our family which consists of me, my wife and our 2 kids.  It's been actually difficult finding info online for figuring amounts for two disabled children. 2d, does the monthly income limit increment with a second disabled child?  Right now I think our limit is $4158 since we have i child considered an "ineligible" child by not existence qualified yet. Lastly, I'm trying to empathise the asset limits for having a child/children receiving SSI.  I've read where an individual can't have more than $ii,000 in assets to qualify.  Does this hateful our kid/children tin each have $2,000 in assets and nosotros as parents can also have $2,000 in avails and yet qualify?  Or does our entire household need to have $2,000 or less to qualify? I apologize for giving you so much to ponder.  Nosotros actually do capeesh your time and your expertise in helping to educate u.s. on this resource.

Cheers,

Chris in St. Joseph, MI

Dear Chris,

The calculation of how much parental income is deemed (considered) available for the support of disabled children is the same whether y'all have one or more than disabled children. The but difference is that with multiple disabled children, the deemed amount is split among the children.

In the case of your family, I calculate the aforementioned figure as y'all, $333 for each of your two children ($335 each this twelvemonth, 2017). The adding follows the formula given you by the Social Security Administration. The formula makes provisions for parents supporting themselves and their non-disabled children and gives a work incentive by not counting part of the earned income.

With regard to resources rules, ii parents living in the same household with ane or more than disabled children tin have $3,000 in countable avails and each disabled child can have $two,000. If you and your married woman have more than than $3,000, the backlog will be divided between your ii disabled children and counted toward their individual $2,000 limits. Annotation that several assets are not countable including only non limited to a domicile you live in, one vehicle, resources necessary for cocky-support (i.east. belongings used to produce income) and certain kinds of burying policies.

Sincerely,

Benefits Advisor

Technical Listing Requirements for Autism Spectrum Disorder

112.10 Autism Spectrum Disorder, for children age 3 to attainment of age 18, satisfied past A and B:

  1. Medical documentation of both of the following:
  2. Qualitative deficits in verbal advice, nonverbal communication, and social interaction; and
  3. Significantly restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities.

AND

  1. Farthermost limitation of ane, or marked limitation of two, of the following areas of mental performance;
  2. Understand, recollect, or use information.
  3. Interact with others.
  4. Concentrate, persist, or maintain pace.
  5. Adapt or manage oneself.

Your child'southward status will exist compared to the guidelines, and then you lot and your dr. can review them and collect the necessary evidence to testify your child's challenges. While each case is decided individually, if a child's autism symptoms keep the kid from doing average activities for his/her age, information technology is probable they will meet the disability definition.

Country agencies make the initial disability decision, which tin take upwards to five months. If the agency needs more information, they will contact you lot to schedule an examination and/or tests, which will exist paid for. If your kid is found to be disabled, monthly benefits will then be calculated. If a disability rating is denied, you lot can entreatment.

To first the awarding process, you lot can telephone call Social Security directly at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), or visit your local Social Security Function. To find your closest part, go to this website and blazon in your zero code: www.ssa.gov/ICON/principal.jsp.