What is the Child Disability Report?

It may surprise you to know the findings from the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) annual Supplemental Security Income (SSI) statistical report conducted from 2013. In Florida alone, 29,149 children under 18 received SSI payments for low income disability. A child is not able to receive Social Security benefits unless he/she has a parent who is receiving Social Security retirement or disability bneefits or is deceased.

Applications can be filled under SSI for children. SSI considers income, resources and the child's medical condition in the decision-making process.

That being said, what exactly is a Child Disability Report, and is it the same as the SSI application itself?

The Child Disability Report vs. an SSI Application

The Child Disability Report is a form that must be completed as one of the requirements to determine your child’s eligibility to receive SSI payments. No matter what kind of disability you are applying for under Social Security, you must be determined as disabled according to the SSA’s definition in order to receive benefits. This definition is “a physical or mental condition” that “result in ‘marked and severe functional’ limitations.” Also, his or her disability and medical condition (or conditions) must be expected to last at least 12 months or result in death.

This report plus the application for SSI benefits must both be submitted in order to process your child’s claim.

Be mindful that:

• your Child Disability Report can be filled out online for convenience, but

• in order to fill out the SSI application, you are required to set up an appointment via telephone or in-person with the SSA; the actuall SSI application is not available online.

Keep in mind that SSI is paid only to those who are disabled and have very limited income and resources. You will need to know the Social Security numbers of your child and everyone who is living with the child—the income and resources of parent(s) living in the same household of the child is taken into consideration; the living circumstances of the child and parent(s) is also considered.

Key Takeaway

This may seem daunting, but you don’t have to be alone when trying to understand SSI disability benefits for your child: a compassionate disability expert is immediately available to answer your questions and concerns and assist you with everything involved with the application. Having a representative oversee your application increases your chances of an accurate and thorough compilation of your child’s medical records and how their medical conditions affect their performance in school and daily activities. With an accurate and complete application, your processsing time may well be faster and elicit the desired results for your child.

Many disability firms do not accept child SSI claims—but here at Disability Experts of Florida, we consider children’s applications just as important if not more so and rarely turn away anyone seeking assistance for disability benefits. Find out everything about getting disability benefits for children by downloading our free guide on “How to get Disability Benefits for Children in Florida” and by contacting us today!