On This Page
If you became disabled as a child or when you were very young, you may not have the work history to qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) on your own. SSDI provides monthly disability benefits when you cannot work, and there are special, relaxed work requirements if you are under age 26.
Additionally, the Social Security Administration makes it possible for some applicants to receive SSDI benefits based on their parent’s work record.
If you qualify as a Disabled Adult Child (DAC), you could receive a significantly higher benefit amount over the course of your life by qualifying for DAC benefits instead of Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
At Marasco & Nesselbush, our Rhode Island personal injury attorneys have dedicated their careers to helping those who are disabled get the maximum benefits they need and deserve. We can help you determine how to maximize your Social Security Disability income, and we can put together a strong application for you to give you the best chance of getting the benefits you deserve.
Call or contact us online today to learn more. The initial consultation is always free, and our firm does not charge any legal fees unless we successfully obtain benefits for you.
About Social Security Disability Benefits for Disabled Adult Children
SSDI provides disability income if you have earned a sufficient number of work credits and you are disabled. The average monthly SSDI benefit as of 2014 is $1,146 and the maximum monthly benefit is $2,642. The amount received is based on how much you earned (and how much tax you paid into the system) while you were working.
Someone who becomes disabled when he or she is very young usually does not get a chance to work enough to qualify for SSDI benefits based on his or her own work record. So the options are DAC benefits (if you qualify) or SSI. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) provides a maximum benefit of just $721 per month as of 2014 – much less than what’s available through DAC benefits.
Because of the significant difference between SSDI and SSI, children who qualify for DAC benefits based on their parents’ work history could receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in extra income over the course of their lives.
Once a child turns 18, he or she may be eligible for SSDI based on his or her parent’s work record if he or she is considered a Disabled Adult Child. To be considered an “Adult Child,” the applicant must:
- Be over the age of 18 and must have been considered “disabled” before the age of 22.
- Currently meet the definition of “disabled.”
The Social Security Administration has a very narrow definition of what it means to be disabled. The condition or medical problem that you must have to qualify for benefits needs to be listed in the Listing of Impairments, which is also called the “Blue Book.”
Each listed condition has specific symptoms that must accompany it. There is a list of conditions for adults (found in Part A of the Blue Book) that are different from those for children (found in Part B of the Blue Book). If you do not meet a Listing, you must prove that your condition is medically equivalent to those in the Blue Book.
Our Lawyers Help Social Security Disability Claimants Recover Full Benefits
If you or your child became disabled before age 22, it is imperative to determine if Disabled Adult Child benefits are available. Marasco & Nesselbush can help. We can review your circumstances and assist you in deciding what benefits you are eligible for and how to maximize your monthly disability income.
Our firm is the premier Social Security Disability law firm in Rhode Island because we have focused our knowledge and legal skills on helping the disabled for more than two decades. We will be there for you every step of the way, from deciding how to apply for benefits to getting medical evidence, putting together a strong application and dealing with appeals. We don’t charge you for legal services unless we get benefits for you.
Call or contact us online today to speak to an SSD attorney on our legal team. We will be happy to help, and we won’t give up until you receive benefits, or until we have exhausted all possible theories of appeal.
Injured and not sure what your case is worth? Find out for free.
