If you are caring for a disabled child, you have a wide range of federal and state benefits available to you. These benefits change (but do not necessarily stop) when a child with disabilities turns 18. If you are looking for an extensive list of available to you or your family as a result of a disability, a great place to start is with the U.S. government website on disability services. Here, you will find plenty of information on all the help you can access.

In this guide, we’ll look at a specific situation: a family caring for a child with a disability. We’ll look at the help available to such a family and how it changes when the child reaches adulthood.

Family Benefits for Children With Disabilities

One important benefit for families affected by disability is Supplemental Security Income (SSI). This program provides monthly payments to people with limited income and resources. Children younger than age 18 can qualify if they have a medical condition (or a combination of conditions) that meets Social Security’s definition of disability. A young person’s income and resources must fall within the eligibility limits to qualify for this program.

The amount of the SSI payment for children is different from state to state because some states add to the federal SSI payment. There are about 19 states plus Washington D.C. that do not supplement SSI.

Your local Social Security office can tell you more about your state’s total SSI payments, and the Social Security Administration (SSA) provides that can help you work out how much SSI could be worth.

In addition to SSI, the families of children with a disability might be able to access a range of other benefits:

• Social Security survivor benefits/Social Security disability benefits: If the parent of a child with disabilities retires, dies, or is diagnosed with a disability themselves, their child can receive support via their Social Security benefits.
• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF): TANF is designed to help low-income earners take care of their children. The programs provide financial help for parents.
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): SNAP is the previously named food stamps program. The objective of the program is to assist low-income earners afford food. It used to be done with food stamps but now enrollees in the program use an electronic debit card. There are household eligibility requirements to qualify for the program. Though the program is offered to all qualifying low-income earners, those with disabilities can receive special provisions if they meet the requirements.
• VA Pensions: Veterans who are both low-income earners and have disabilities receive monetary assistance through Veterans Aid and Attendance benefits. If the veteran has dependant children, then the monetary amount they receive is higher.
• Medicaid: Depending on the state, if disability SSI benefits are being provided to a child, that child will automatically be eligible for Medicaid. In the states where this rule does not apply, the child will be eligible if they meet specific requirements, such as income thresholds.
• Medicaid Waiver: The waiver allows states to provide services to individuals who under ordinary circumstances would not be eligible for Medicaid. With a waiver, people can qualify for in-home care instead of going to a long-term care facility.
• Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP): CHIP benefits are different in every state and so is the name the program goes by; however, the goal of the program in each state is to make sure all children under the age of 19 whose families have incomes over the Medicaid threshold but still can't afford private insurance, are able to receive healthcare, including dental.

Family Benefits for Disabled Adults

When a child with disabilities reaches 18, they are considered an adult. As a result, your family’s entitlement to disability benefits will change.

Some adults can continue to receive SSI. However, the amount they receive may change. This is because when they reach 18, the SSA no longer counts the income and resources of family members (except their spouse) when deciding if they meet the financial limits for SSI.

They also apply the disability rules for adults, which are slightly different. In all cases, the SSA will review a person’s medical condition, normally within a year of them turning 18. In some cases, a person who didn’t qualify for SSI before they were 18 will qualify for it afterward.

An adult may also be eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) if their disability occurred before the age of 22 and their parents are deceased or receiving retirement or disability benefits. The benefits are paid through their parent's Social Security earnings.

The individual does not need to be the offspring of the parents but can be adopted, a stepchild, a grandchild, or a step-grandchild. To qualify, the child must be 18 or older, have a disability that qualifies under SS law and occurred before age 22, be unmarried, and fall under the qualifications of a disabled adult. Collectively, this is known as a Disabled Adult Child (DAC).

Though SSDI payments are linked to their parent’s Social Security eligibility, it is not necessary for a DAC to have worked to receive these benefits. SSDI benefits will continue for as long as the individual has a disability, although getting married might affect their entitlement. However, some marriages (for example, to another DAC) are considered protected and don’t affect eligibility.

SSA disability work supports, such as the Ticket to Work program, can be valuable to adults living (and working) with a disability. These resources are designed to help people work to their fullest ability and retain access to SSI, SSDI, Medicaid, and Medicare for a period of time—sometimes indefinitely, based upon the beneficiary's countable income and cost of medical care.

The Bottom Line

Families with children with disabilities are entitled to a wide range of benefits, including SSI. When a child with a disability turns 18, this will affect their entitlement to benefits, and it’s important to be prepared for this. The amount your family receives in benefits may increase or decrease.