As any parents will tell you, raising a child is expensive. But when your child has a disability, it is exponentially more expensive for a variety of reasons. Because of this, there is Social Security Income (SSI) available, payable to parents of children with disabilities that can go toward various needs.
What is the Disability Payment for a Child for 2020?
While the amount of disability payment for a child can vary, the federal rate for SSI for children for 2020 is $783 a month. This is due to a cost of living increase that went into effect for disability, raising the amount from $771 in 2019.
The sum is most often paid to a payee, typically a parent. It is the responsibility of this payee to keep track of the payment and spend the money for the benefit of the child. Suggestion from the Social Security Administration is to spend the funds on maintenance items like food, housing, clothes, medical care and personal items.
What Child SSI Funds Can Be Used For
Like stated above, many parents who receive disability payments for their child will use the funds on basic needs such as food and shelter. Many families also qualify for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments, but that amount is unlikely to cover what is needed for the full month for the child. SNAP payments vary depending on household income and maximum payment is typically $3-5 per day.
If immediate needs of the child are met, parents may choose to pay for medical or dental expenses of the child with SSI payments. Often, disabled children will qualify for their state’s Medicaid program. Even so, there are services that Medicaid is unable to pay for that the SSI payment is then able to cover.
The SSI payments can also be used to pay for past medical bills incurred due to the child’s disability. The circumstances of the payment need to be considered, as paying past due bills will not come before meeting basic needs of the child.
In some cases, parents spend the SSI payments on services that may benefit the child in other ways, such as recreational events for children with disabilities or other services. It goes without saying that spending SSI funds on these kinds of items should only happen if the basic needs and medical expenses of the child are taken care of.
If you have questions on getting your child approved for SSI, or have been denied benefits, don’t hesitate to call the professionals at Tabak Law at 844-432-0114.