Monday, August 28, 2017

Supplemental Security Income for Children with Special Needs

For children with special needs who have a financial disadvantage, SSI may be an option of assistance. A recent contact at the SSI office informs that an approved SSI applicant will receive retro-payment from the date of application. Since this is the case, the earlier the application, the better. SSI funds may be used for shelter and basic necessities. After the child's basic necessities are taken care of, the money may be used to offset medical costs not covered by insurance. The beneficiary cannot have more than $2,000 in assets. Past SSI funds not used can count toward these assets. https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10076.pdf

Call the SSI office right away to see if your child qualifies within the income requirements.
1-800-325-0778
1-800-772-1213

For families who need a savings account not affecting SSI assets, families can open an Able Account. Financial Institutions offering Able Accounts are not currently in Utah, however, Utah families can still open an Able Account in another state.
https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0501130740

Apply for SSI Disability for a Child
https://www.ssa.gov/disabilityssi/apply-child.html

The application can be started online and must be finished by visiting the local SSI office. Use this SSI Interview Checklist to have everything prepared. Part of the checklist suggests to bring any doctor's notes you already have. The SSI office can contact your doctor's offices to gather additional records. To expedite the process, gather all possible medical and school records to have them ready. Some doctor's offices may have a printing fee. Typically, this is a reasonable amount. Some parents feel it is definitely worth making the process go more smoothly and quickly. When submitting your records, it may be helpful to place all of the diagnoses at the top or front to help the person reviewing to easily find what they need.