Navigating Social Security Benefits for Special Needs Adults





If you have an adult son or daughter with disabilities, they are eligible for financial support under a federal government program known as Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). This monthly supplemental income alleviates some of the financial expenses required for the care of your son or daughter.

Receiving Benefits from a Parent's Work Record

A child with disabilities may also receive social security benefits based on a parent’s work record. To qualify for SSDI under a parent’s work record, the son or daughter must be completely disabled under one of the definitions in federal law. Also, the parent must have paid into the Social Security system for the required number of quarters and the parent must be deceased, permanently disabled, or be receiving Social Security retirement benefits. If these requirements are met, the adult son or daughter with disabilities is eligible to receive both SSDI benefits in addition to the SSI benefits that his parent is collecting.

Qualifying for Benefits with SSDI

The most common source of income to help adults with disabilities is Supplemental Security Income (SSI). If a person with disabilities receives outside income from well-meaning family members, for example, the SSI benefits can be reduced. The advantage of the SSDI program is that an adult with disabilities can qualify for benefits no matter how much money he or she has in financial accounts or in a special needs trust in California.

Although SSDI benefits are easier to manage than SSI benefits, not everyone with a disability can qualify for SSDI. SSDI benefits are available to anyone who has a "disability" as defined by the federal government. SSDI benefits are only available to people with disabilities who have been able to work and paid into the Social Security system for a specified amount of time. But when that time comes that the person with special needs is no longer able to work due to their disability, they can apply for the SSDI benefits.

Special Needs Trust

Another tool in your arsenal for financially providing for your disabled son’s or daughter’s financial needs is a special needs trust in California. This type of trust is one way a family can supplement the benefits a disabled son or daughter receives under Social Security programs. In creating the special needs trust, you must consult with a qualified attorney who is an expert in estate planning in California. If the trust is not set up according to California estate law, your child could lose part or all of their social security benefits.

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