How to Apply for SSI for a Child With a Disability

Where to start

If you're starting to look into SSI for your child, you do not need to understand every rule before you begin. SSA advises families not to delay applying just because they do not yet have every document.

For a child under 18, SSA reviews the non-medical parts of SSI, including income, resources, living arrangements, and other eligibility requirements. If the claim proceeds to disability review, the disability portion is sent to the state Disability Determination Services, or DDS, which develops the evidence and makes the initial disability determination for SSA.

A child's SSI claim cannot currently be completed entirely online. You can complete the Child Disability Report online, but a parent, guardian, caregiver, or representative still needs to work with SSA to complete the SSI application. Starting sooner can also matter because your first contact with SSA may help establish a filing date when the protective-filing requirements are met.

Plain-English Answer

To apply for SSI for a child, contact SSA to start the SSI claim and complete the Child Disability Report with your child's medical, school, and daily-functioning information. Gather the financial and household information SSA asks for, respond to follow-up requests, and keep copies of what you submit. You do not need every document before making first contact.

Can I apply for SSI for my child online?

Not completely. SSA says a child's SSI claim cannot currently be completed entirely online. You can complete the Child Disability Report online, but a parent or guardian still needs to work with SSA to complete the SSI application. Use SSA's current Apply for SSI page for the latest instructions.

You do not need every document before first contact. SSA says not to delay applying if you think your child may be eligible. If information is missing, you may be able to provide it as the application moves forward. Start the process, keep track of what SSA asks for, and work through one request at a time.

What SSI Is and What It Provides

Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, is a federal program administered by the Social Security Administration. It provides monthly cash payments to people with limited income and resources who are blind, age 65 or older, or have a qualifying disability. Children who are blind or have a qualifying disability may also be eligible.

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  Monthly cash payments. The maximum federal SSI payment can change each year. A child's actual payment may be lower based on income, parental deeming, living arrangements, and other factors.
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  A Medicaid connection in many states. In most states, an SSI recipient may be automatically eligible for Medicaid or the SSI application also serves as the Medicaid application. In other states, a separate Medicaid application is required.

SSI is different from Social Security benefits based on work history. SSI is based on financial need and other eligibility rules; Social Security benefits generally depend on an insured worker's earnings record. This guide covers SSI for a child. Benefits that may be payable on a parent's Social Security record are a different program and process.

Source note: This guide is reviewed against current Social Security Administration guidance and federal child-disability rules. Primary source links are provided near the end of the guide.

Documents to Gather for a Child SSI Application

SSA says not to delay filing because you do not have every document. Gather what you can, use the SSA Child Disability Starter Kit as a checklist, and provide additional information when SSA asks for it.

The SSI Application Process Step by Step

How Long Does the SSI Application Take?

SSA says a decision on a child's SSI disability claim can take about 6 to 8 months. The actual timing can vary based on factors such as how quickly medical evidence is obtained, whether additional evidence or an examination is needed, and other claim-development or review steps.

Your state and DDS workload

Processing times can vary by state and workload.

Records available

Missing or incomplete records can require additional development.

Additional evidence needed

DDS may need information from medical, school, or other sources before it can decide the claim.

Consultative examination

If DDS needs an examination because the existing evidence is not sufficient, scheduling and completing it can add another step.

SSA uses Compassionate Allowances to identify certain serious conditions for expedited disability processing. If your child's diagnosis appears on the current Compassionate Allowances list, make sure the diagnosis is clearly identified in the claim. Compassionate Allowances can speed the disability determination, but the other SSI eligibility requirements still apply.

Before you contact SSA, check the current Compassionate Allowances list.

‍If your child's diagnosis appears on the current SSA list, make sure the condition is identified correctly in the claim.

“My child's diagnosis appears on SSA's current Compassionate Allowances list. Can you confirm that the condition is identified correctly in the claim?”

What Evidence Helps SSA Understand Your Child's Daily Functioning

Keep copies of what you submit. Use specific examples of what your child cannot do, has difficulty doing, needs help doing, or is restricted from doing because of the impairment. Caregiver notes are most useful when they describe the actual function, support, supervision, frequency, duration, or recovery involved.

How SSA Decides If Your Child Has a Qualifying Disability

For a child under age 18, SSA uses the child disability standard. The child must have a medically determinable physical or mental impairment, or combination of impairments, that results in marked and severe functional limitations and has lasted or is expected to last at least 12 months, or is expected to result in death.

SSA first considers whether the impairment meets or medically equals a listed impairment. If it does not, SSA considers whether the impairment functionally equals the listings across six domains of functioning.

For functional equivalence, SSA looks for marked limitations in two domains or an extreme limitation in one domain. SSA considers the relevant information in the case record when evaluating how the child functions across these areas.

Income and Resource Limits for Child SSI

SSI is need-based. For a child under 18 who lives with a parent, SSA may count some parental income and resources as available to the child. This is called deeming.

Not all income and resources are counted, and exclusions can apply. The result depends on the household and the types of income and resources involved, so one gross-income number does not tell every family whether a child qualifies.

Do not rule your child out based on a rough income estimate. SSA's deeming calculation can be complicated. Let SSA apply the current rules to your household information.

Important: Do not move money, change account ownership, or restructure assets solely to try to qualify for SSI without first getting current guidance. Ask SSA or an appropriately qualified benefits professional how a particular account or asset is treated before you act.

Common Mistakes That Slow Applications Down

A child SSI claim can involve forms, records, deadlines, and follow-up from more than one office. These are practical problems to watch for while the application is moving.

What to Say When You Call SSA

Common Questions About Applying for SSI for a Child