If You Get Married Or Divorced
If you get married or divorced, your Social Security benefits may be affected, depending on the kind of benefits you receive.
If your benefits are stopped because of marriage or remarriage, they may be started again if the marriage ends.
If you get your own disability benefits then your benefits will continue.
If you get your spouses benefits then your benefits will continue if you get divorced and you are age 62 or over unless you were married less than 10 years.
If you get disabled widows or widowers benefits then your benefits will continue if you remarry when you are age 50 or older.
If you get any other kind of benefits then generally your benefits will stop when you get married. Your benefits may be started again if the marriage ends.
Starting Your Childs Ssi Application
All SSI applications must be completed in person at your closest Social Security office. There are more than 1,300 SSA offices located across the country, so youll likely have more than one option when scheduling an appointment. Before applying in person, be sure to review the SSAs Child Disability Starter Kit. This online resource outlines exactly what paperwork youll need to have on hand to successfully apply for SSI on behalf of a child.
Helpful Resources:
Can You Get Ssi For A Child With Autism
A child applying with autism will have to apply for Supplemental Security Income benefits, which are for people with disabilities and with very little income. Because children do not work, parents income will be taken into consideration when applying for SSI benefits on behalf of a child with autism .
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What Benefits Are Available
The Social Security Administration has two types of programs. They are:
- Social Security Disability Income for people who once worked but are no longer able to do so. Children typically don’t qualify for this program since they have no work history, but adults with autism might.
- Supplemental Security Income for low-income households in which a person can’t work due to a disability. Both adults and children with autism might qualify for this program.
These programs are very different, but eligibility requirements and application processes are much the same.
How To Apply For Benefits
The Social Security Administration is a federal entity, but benefits flow from the states to people in need. In some cases, you’ll start the conversation online. It pays to know where your state’s benefits office is located, so you can get added help as needed.
To apply for benefits for kids:
- Make an appointment. Meet with a professional in the SSA in your state.
- Gather paperwork. You’ll need medical records, doctors notes, test results, notes from teachers, income data, and anything else that can help you prove your child’s disability.
- Complete an application. You’ll get the forms you need during your meeting, and you might fill them out before your appointment ends.
To apply for benefits for adults:
- Gather paperwork. Pull together medical records, employment records, notes from bosses, test results, and anything else that helps to prove a disability.
- Hop online. Apply for disability benefits through the SSA website. Save your work and return to an open application if you can’t complete the form in one day.
Prepare to wait several weeks before you hear back, experts say. The team must assess all the data you sent, and that takes time.
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If You Receive Other Disability Benefits
Social Security benefits for you and your family may be reduced if you also are eligible for workers compensation or for disability benefits from certain federal, state or local government programs. You musttell them if:
- You apply for another type of disability benefit;
- You receive another disability benefit or a lump-sum settlement; or
- Your benefits change or stop.
Social Security Disability Claims On The Basis Of Autism
Social Security updated its disability listing for autism in 2017. Listing 112.10, “Autistic disorder and other pervasive developmental disorders,” is now titled “Autism spectrum disorder.” The listing requires that all of the following are documented in a child’s medical records:
- deficits in social interaction
- deficits in verbal and nonverbal communication, and
- significantly restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities.
If all three items are documented , Social Security will look to see whether the child’s functioning is severely limited by autism. The child must either have an extreme limitation in one of the following areas or a “marked” limitation in two of the following areas:
- understanding, remembering, or using information
- interacting with others
- focusing on activities , and
- adapting or managing oneself .
Cognitive and communicative functioning can be measured through the use of standardized testing that is appropriate for a claimant’s age and special tests for language development or speech pattern development. Regarding the measurement of cognition itself, a primary sign of limited function is a valid IQ score of 70 or less.
Focus is the ability to concentrate on a task, to stick with it, and to maintain a pace at the task that would be considered an age-appropriate level. This is measured both by observing the child and also measured by results obtained from standardized testing.
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Medically Qualifying For Benefits
A child’s medical condition must be severe and disrupt his or her participation in “normal” or age-appropriate activities. Disability Determination Services will review the child’s medical records and compare these with disability listings that appear in the Blue Book. Your child’s doctor can review Blue Book information and help you understand whether your child may medically qualify for Social Security disability according to the criteria outlined in this SSA manual.
To make a determination on your child’s claim for benefits, the SSA will need the contact information for all the doctors and other healthcare providers your child sees, including hospitals, clinics and therapists, among others. When you apply for SSI, you’ll additionally provide permission for the SSA to get copies of medical records for a detailed review.
Every child will need different medical records to qualify. A child with either Trisomy 21 or Translocation Down syndrome will automatically medically qualify. A child with ADHD needs significantly more evidence, including a history of inattention, impulsiveness and hyperactivity. Be sure to review the Blue Book online to know how the child you care for will qualify.
Technical Listing Requirements For Autism Spectrum Disorder
112.10 Autism Spectrum Disorder, for children age 3 to attainment of age 18, satisfied by A and B:
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Is Autism A Disability
The “disabled” label can chafe, and you may balk at applying it to yourself or your child. Benefits aren’t made to limit you or your ability to live and succeed.
Think of benefits as tools you can use to live your best life without worrying about money or benefits. If you’re eligible for them, use them without shame or worry.
An accurate diagnosis of autism can open up other doors for you or your child. This diagnosis can mean you are able to get vital services and treatments, such as applied behavior analysis therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy. These therapies can greatly improve the ability to cope with the outside world, helping an autistic individual to thrive. Without a diagnosis, you will likely struggle to get vital help.
If You Are Offered Services Under The Ticket To Work Program
Social Security may send you a Ticket that you can use to obtain services to help you go to work or earn more money. You may take the Ticket to your state vocational rehabilitation agency or to an Employment Network of your choice. Employment Networks are private organizations that have agreed to work with Social Security to provide employment services to beneficiaries with disabilities. Your participation in the Ticket Program is voluntary and the services are provided at no cost to you.
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Determining If Autism Qualifies You For Disability Benefits
The SSA has a very specific method in place for determining whether an SSDI or SSI applicant with autism should qualify for disability benefits. The SSA will pass the application on to the Pennsylvania Bureau of Disability Determination for a review by a physician and disability examiner team. The BDD will evaluate the claim to determine if autism spectrum disorder meets these requirements.
There is medical evidence that the applicant has measurable deficits affecting:
- Communication and social interaction; and
- Substantially limited, repetitive patterns of behavior, activities, or interests.
Severe limitation of one, or marked limitation of two, of the following:
- Understanding, remembering, or applying information;
- Interacting with others;
- Concentrating, persisting, or maintaining pace; and/or
- Adapting or managing oneself.
Helping You Return To Work
After you start receiving disability benefits, you may want to try working again. There are special rules called work incentives that can help you keep your cash benefits and Medicare while you test your ability to work. For more information about the ways Social Security can help you return to work, ask for Working While Disabled How We Can Help . More detailed information about work incentives can be found in the Red Book . Also visit the website, www.socialsecurity.gov/work.
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Who Is Eligible And How To Apply For Social Security
Apply for these benefits at your local Social Security Office. To find it, use the Social Security Office Locator.
Eligibility may be based on the severity of your childs disability and on your family income.Get more details about Social Security eligibility.
Having the right information when you apply will make things easier.
- Be ready to supply information about the doctors, therapists, hospitals, and clinics that have treated your child in the last year
- Be ready to supply your childs medical records and a list of medications your child is taking
- to help gather all the information you will need in the application process
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Embarking On The Benefit Application Process
When you are ready to begin an SSI claim on behalf of a child you care for, you can schedule an appointment with your local SSA office by calling the main helpline at 1-800-772-1213. Just keep in mind that there are typically long hold times when calling the SSA. If you can find a local number through the SSA’s office locator, you may have an easier time making an appointment.
During your local office appointment, you’ll participate in a personal interview with an SSA representative. This representative will walk you through the SSI application, record your information and submit your claim for you. With a rich medical history, the person you care for should be approved in a couple of months.
To learn more about the Social Security Disability application process, from initially applying, to keeping benefits after being approved, visit .
About the author:
Deanna Power is the Director of Outreach at Disability Benefits Help, an independent organization dedicated to helping people with disabilities receive the Social Security benefits they need. She initially began working with people with disabilities by volunteering with Best Buddies, and now specializes in helping potential Social Security claimants determine if they medically qualify for benefits. If you have any questions on the application process, feel free to email her at .
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Disability Determination For Children Under 18
Children with certain disabilities can be eligible for Social Security disability benefits beginning from birth. Because autism is a Spectrum Disorder, whether children qualify for assistance will depend on the severity of their symptoms. To qualify for a disability rating, the SSA uses different criteria for children than for adults.
Children with severe autism limitations will generally qualify. The SSA considers a child under 18 to be disabled if they have a permanent physical or mental condition that very seriously limits their activities.
The Social Security Administration clarifies that conditions must be established with medical evidence. This means doctors documentation of symptoms, along with lab results. A parents own listing of symptoms is not enough alone to show the disability, but a parent can help provide full details of the level of daily care and assistance that the child needs. Its also helpful to include written statements from any professionals who work with your child and can attest to their challenges. These can include health care provides, teachers, or caretakers.;
Special Needs Financial Planning Tool Kit
Mapping out the financial future of your child can seem like a daunting task, but having a plan in place can help ease your fears. The Autism Speaks Special Needs Financial Planning Tool Kit was created to provide you with all the information that you need to develop that plan.;
The information in the Financial Planning Tool Kit comes from top experts in the field with many years of both personal and professional experience with special needs financial planning. We have also included some personal stories from other parents or caregivers like you.
Learn more and download the Financial Planning Tool Kit;free of charge.
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Social Security Disability Income
Social security for adults with autism includes both the SSI and SSDI programs. Social security disability benefits for autism may carry over from childhood to adulthood for people who were receiving social security disability for autism on their parents social security record.
The SSDI program is for adults who are disabled from working. It is usually based on the recipients income before they became disabled. If the disability began before age 22, however, it can be based on the recipients parental income.
Once a child reaches age 18, the blue book adult criteria for disability determination takes effect, and these differ from the childhood criteria.
Child Tax Credit And Working Tax Credit
Tax Credits can be paid to parents of children and to people who are working.;
If DLA is awarded for your child, you can get additional amounts of Child Tax Credits. To claim Tax Credits, call the Tax Credits Helpline on 0345 300 3900.;
Child Tax Credits and Working Tax Credits are being replaced by Universal Credit.;
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Visit Your Doctors And Therapists Regularly
SSA needs proof that you are still disabled when you turn 18. It is very important that you get treatment from your doctors regularly so that SSA will have the information it needs. If you have depression or anxiety be sure you are getting treatment for it and taking any medication your doctors prescribe.
Can Someone Receive Disability Benefits For Autism
Yes, the Social Security Administration has two kinds of autism disability benefits for eligible individuals, including:
- Social Security Disability Income : This is intended for adults who have worked in the past but now cannot due to disability
- Supplemental Security Income : This is for disabled children and adults of lower income, and they do not need to have worked in the past to qualify
The various medical conditions and eligibility criteria are specified in the Social Security Administrations Impairment Listing Manual, also known as the blue book.
Parents of children under 18 with autism may qualify for SSI benefits, and people with autism who are 18 or older may qualify for either SSI or SSDI benefits. Adults with autism who have never worked may be eligible for SSDI benefits, based on their parents employment history.
The SSA provides a free, downloadable booklet titled Benefits for Children With Disabilities. While not specific to autism, it is a useful resource and starting point for understanding federal SSA programs for parents of children with disabilities. The booklet also covers SSDI benefits for adults who have been disabled since childhood.
Families of children who receive social security disability and SSI benefits for autism may be eligible for medical benefits, including:
- Medicaid and Medicare
- Childrens Health Insurance Program
- Special access to health care services under the Children with Special Health Care Need provision of the SSA
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Incentives That Help You Go To School Work And Save
SSI and many other government benefits programs have strict limits on how much income and savings you can have. If you go over the limits, you will no longer get benefits. The problem is that sometimes these limits end up preventing people from working and saving.
When the government realized that these limits were actually stopping people from getting jobs, saving money, and living better, they created work incentives like the Student Earned Income Exclusion , Plans to Achieve Self-Support , Individual Development Accounts and ABLE Accounts that help you earn and save money without losing your benefits.
Basic Requirements For Childhood Disability
The Social Security Administration will find that your child is disabled if both of the following requirements are met:
- your child has a mental or physical condition that very seriously limits his or her activities, and
- the condition has lasted, or is expected to last, at least one year.
In addition, your child cannot be doing a substantial amount of work — what the SSA calls Substantial Gainful Activity . For 2021, SGA is defined as earning $1,310 a month.
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