When can a child receive SSI disability benefits?

Supplemental Security Income can be paid to a child under 18 who has a serious, long-lasting condition and whose family has limited income and resources. A child's claim has two separate tests, and both must be met.

The medical test. The child must have a medically determinable physical or mental impairment that causes marked and severe functional limitations and that has lasted, or is expected to last, at least 12 months, or to result in death. Social Security first checks the childhood Listings, which cover many conditions by body system. A child who does not meet a Listing can still qualify if the condition functionally equals one.

That functional review looks at six areas:

• acquiring and using information;
• attending and completing tasks;
• interacting and relating with others;
• moving about and manipulating objects;
• caring for oneself; and
• health and physical well-being.

A marked limitation in two areas, or an extreme limitation in one, is the usual threshold.

The financial test. For a child living with parents, part of the parents' income and resources is counted toward the child — a process Social Security calls deeming. The rules allow certain deductions, including for the parents' own needs and for other children in the household. Because of this, a child can have a serious condition and still be ineligible for SSI because of household income.

Evidence that matters.

• Pediatrician and specialist records, test results, and a history of treatment.
• Developmental, psychological, and educational testing.
• School records — IEPs, 504 plans, report cards, teacher questionnaires, and records of absences, behavior, and special services — which show functioning in a setting where it can be compared with other children of the same age.
• A statement from a treating provider or teacher on the specific functional limits in each of the six areas.

At age 18. A child receiving SSI is reviewed under the adult disability rules at 18, and the parents' income and resources stop counting. A young adult who did not qualify as a child because of household income may qualify at 18.

After approval. Children's cases are reviewed periodically to confirm the condition is continuing. SSI generally brings Medicaid coverage.

See SSI vs. SSDI, how a claim works, and fees.