The Social Security Administration provides disability benefits for disabled children. The disability benefits available for children are usually paid to a parent or guardian on behalf of the disabled child. If you are receiving the benefits for a disabled child, you should know the following:

Disability Benefits for Children: When Does A Child Become an Adult

Children's benefits stop the month before the child reaches eighteen. Other factors that determine when a child's disability payments stop is whether the child is disabled or is a full time student at elementary or secondary school. A "child" must also be unmarried. Typically, 3 months before a child’s 18th birthday, the guardian will get a letter explaining how the disability benefits can continue. The Social Security Administration also will send the child a letter and a student form.

Resuming Disability Benefits for Children

If your child, or a child for which you are legal guardian, had benefits that stopped at age eighteen, they can apply for benefits to resume if they become disabled before reaching age twenty-two or becomes a full-time elementary or secondary school student before reaching age nineteen. The student, or their representative, needs to contact the Social Security Administrationus to reapply for benefits.

Recieving Disability Benefits Beyond Age 18

A child can receive benefits for a year after they have turned 18, or until age 19, if he or she continues to be a full-time elementary or secondary school student. When a child reaches their 19th birthday during a school term, benefits usually can continue until completion of the term, or for two months following the 19th birthday.

Child Benefits Stop When:

• Benefits stop when a child marries
• Benefits stop when a child is convicted of a crime
• Benefits stop when a child changes from full time to part time student
• Benefits stop when a child's employer pays for school
  

Stepchildren and Benefits

If you have a stepchild receiving benefits based on your work and you divorce the child’s parent, you must notify the Social Security Administration as soon as the divorce becomes final. Your stepchild’s benefit will stop the month after the divorce becomes final.

If you receive benefits because you are caring for a disabled worker’s child who is younger than age 16 or disabled, you should notify the Social Security Administration right away if the child leaves your care. You must give the Social Security Administration the name and address of the person with whom the child is living.

Adoption and Benefits

When a child who is receiving benefits is adopted by someone else, let us know his or her new name, the date of the adoption decree, and the adopting parent’s name and address. The adoption will not cause the child’s benefits to stop.

A child under age 18 may be disabled, but the Social Security Administration doesn't need to consider the child's disability when deciding if he or she qualifies for benefits as your dependent. The child's benefits normally stop at age 18 unless he or she is a full-time student in an elementary or high school (benefits can continue until age 19) or is disabled.

Social Security Disability Benefits Law Firm

Our Law Firm is experienced in the process of applying for Social Security Disability Benefits for children. If you have a chlid that qualifies for social security disability benefits, or if you're not sure if your child qualifies for social security benefits, we can help.

Our lawyers can help you with denied claims, and more importantly, help you meet all the qualification guidelines so we can prove the extent of your diability to the Social Security Administration before your application is denied. We can help you throughout the entire disability benefits application process.

Help for Denied Disability Benefits for Children

If your claim for Social Security Disability Benefits is denied, our lawyers will present your case at the hearings, providing a strong defense in an effort to reverse a denied claim.

Contact The Rasansky Law Firm for help with your Disability Benefits application or to fight a denied claim.