Supplemental Security Income

Call the Social Security Administration (SSA) office for an appointment the month after your child turns 18 (1-800-772-1213). The SSA will be able to use the date of the call to backdate benefits if the appointment is scheduled within 60 days of the call.

Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA): The SSA will determine if your adult child’s disability results in the “inability to do any substantial gainful activity (SGA)”. They use the term substantial gainful activity to describe a level of work activity and earnings that is both substantial and gainful. SGA involves the performance of significant physical or mental activities or a combination of both. For your work activity to be substantial, you do not need to work full time. Work activity performed on a part-time basis may also be SGA. If your impairment is anything other than blindness, earnings averaging over $1310 a month (for the year 2021) generally demonstrate SGA. This information can also be found on the SSA website.

The SSA will use your child’s income in determining SSI benefits (not your family income).

Your child will need to come with you to the appointment.

Your child should not have had income over the prior two years.

Make sure there is nothing of value listed in your child’s name (savings accounts, life insurance, trust, etc.).

The initial application is for SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance). This will be denied within 30 days because this benefit is for people with a disability that have a work history. The next application is for SSI.

Before the SSI appointment, open a checking account for direct deposit of the SSI money. The child needs to be the primary and the parent as the secondary. Bring account info to the appointment including routing number.

During the application process, one parent will be applying to become the Representative Payee for benefits. The Representative Payee will receive the funds and distribute them on behalf of the adult child. In addition, you will keep records of how the payments are spent or saved, making all records available for review if requested by SSA. The SSA no longer requires certain payees to complete an annual Representative Payee Report (including natural or adoptive parents of a disabled adult beneficiary who primarily reside in the same household with the beneficiary). It is important to understand the responsibilities that the Representative Payee assumes. Visit this page of the SSA website.

List of items to bring to the SSI appointment:
Social Security card
Birth certificate
Picture ID (passport, state ID card)
Checking account information
Letter from the doctor stating diagnosis along with medical reports.
Hospitalizations resulting from the disability, reason for hospitalization, date.
List of all doctors (name, address, phone number), last appointment, and any future appointments.
Copy of most recent school testing.
Letter from the school with name, date of birth, diagnosis, level of functioning. You can bring the most current IEP.

You will charge your child for household expenses. Your adult child will need to pay for some of their living expenses in order to qualify for the maximum amount of SSI. The total expenses per month (listed below) are divided by the number of people in the household to determine what your child should be paying you. Bring the following information to the appointment:
Amount per month spent for food
Amount per month spent for mortgage or rent
Amount per month spent on water/sewer
Amount per month spent for electric/gas/garbage removal
Amount per month spent for property insurance
Amount per month spent for property taxes