How Deeming Works for Child Disability Benefits

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How Deeming Works for Child Disability Benefits

How Deeming Works for Child Disability Benefits

Child disability benefits are offered to children with physical or mental disabilities by the Social Security Administration (SSA). This involves assessing the child’s financial resources to determine eligibility for disability benefits. In some cases, the SSA might also look at the financial resources of the parents in a process called deeming. Reach out to a Pennsylvania disability lawyer if you have any questions.

Does My Child Qualify for Disability Benefits?

The SSA has certain eligibility criteria for its disability benefits programs. These criteria are used for adults and children with disabilities to determine whether their disabilities are severe enough to warrant income replacement. If the definition of a disability is not met, then disability benefits might not be accessible.

When it comes to disability benefits for children, the eligibility criteria are similar. The child must meet the definition of a disability. For one, the child must have How Deeming Works for Child Disability Benefitseither a physical or mental condition that limits activity and functioning in some way. These impairments and conditions must last a year or be expected to lead to an early death.

Talking with your pediatrician can be helpful for figuring out whether your child meets all the disability criteria. A pediatrician can help you figure out the diagnosis and expected outcomes of the condition your child has. This will also be important for gathering medical evidence to support your child’s disability claim.

The next phase of criteria to be met involves your child’s financial situation. This might sound strange, but the SSA also assesses how much income and financial resources your child has. Family household income is also considered.

The SSA does this to ensure the family and child are in serious financial need of disability benefits. Those who have sufficient financial resources to care for the child and the disability may not qualify for disability benefits. Disability benefit programs tend to be reserved for those who are most in need of financial assistance.

What Does Deeming Mean for Disability Benefits?

The way disability benefits deeming works for children is the SSA looks at a part of the parents’ income and financial resources. They evaluate this income as if this were the child’s income. The income of the adoptive parent and stepparent may also be evaluated depending on who is living with or raising the child.

Deductions are then made from any income that is deemed for the parents and any other children in the home. Whatever amount of money is left helps decide whether the child struggling with a disability qualifies for disability benefits. This is common for Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

Try contacting a Pennsylvania disability lawyer if you have any questions. This process might be confusing at first. Our legal team is prepared to help.

Disability Attorney in Pennsylvania

Navigating through the complex disability benefits process can be stressful. Feel free to ask a Pennsylvania delayed benefits appeal attorney to figure out how deeming might work with your child’s disability benefits. All you have to do is call Edelstein Martin & Nelson today at (800) 300-0909 for a consultation. Our experienced team of Pennsylvania disability lawyers can help answer any questions you have about disability benefits.