A person in Texas can become disabled at any age. In some cases, a person is born with a disability; in other cases, a person may develop a disability later in life. Regardless of when it develops, a disability can prove to be a preventative factor in a person’s ability to obtain the income they need to meet the requirements of daily life. For adults, this means they will need to rely on another source of monetary income, which can often come in the form of Social Security disability benefits.
Children, too, are sometimes eligible for Supplemental Security Income, a type of disability benefit. Although not many children are at an age where they would be able to earn a substantial income, they may still qualify if the meet the Social Security Administration’s definition of disability. Plus, they must be within eligibility limits for household or income.
The Social Security Administration will look at earned income, unearned income, in-kind income and deemed income when considering a child’s social security disability case. In general, the greater the amount of income earned by the child or the household, the less amount of social security disability benefits they will be granted.
Plus, the child must meet all of three requirements. They must have a condition that is disabling for twelve continuous months. They must have a physical or mental condition that results in serious limitations in their ability to function. And lastly, the child must not be working and earning a certain amount of income every month.
Navigating the SSI and SSD process can be challenging, regardless of the age of those involved. Social Security disability attorneys are available to assist with the process, whether that’s filing a claim for an adult or child.
Source: FindLaw, “Social Security Benefits for Disabled Children,” Accessed on April 17, 2017