As this blog has discussed, Social Security disability benefits very helpful to Houston, Texas, adult residents who are not able to work due to a disabling illness or injury. The monthly benefits are often a financial lifeline that, with other income sources and benefits, can keep a disabled person afloat financially.
What some might not realize, however, is that a parent can apply for and get Supplemental Security Income, which is a type of disability for someone who does not have a work history, for his or her minor child so long as the child is legally disabled. While the benefit is not designed to replace a child’s income since the child is often too young to work, allowing children to get disability does recognize that families often pay extra expenses to raise a child with special needs. For low income Texas families, this can be a real hardship.
The definition of “disability” for a minor child is slightly different than that used for an adult who would be able to work but for a disability. Instead of asking whether the child is able to work a job, the Social Security Administration will instead use a test to determine whether the child is able to function in the world and live a basically normal life without special intervention.
Of course, the law surrounding disabilities in children is not easy to summarize and is actually quite complicated. Moreover, as with any other disability case, a parent is going to have to submit medical records and plenty of other documentation to the Administration in order to make an effective case for Social Security disability. This is why many Houston residents with disabled children may want to chose enlisting the help of a qualified Social Security disability attorney.