While many people might not realize this, there are special benefits for young adult children who may be suffering from a disability. These Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits are in addition to whatever benefits the child may qualify for on his own by filing for SSDI or, more than likely, SSI benefits.
To be eligible for this benefit, the child must not be married and must have one parent who has died or has begun to draw Social Security benefits, including retirement or disability benefits. Moreover, the child must also not earn more than $1,220 a month through her own work. The child must also be over 18 years old, as there are separate rules for disabled minor children who require financial assistance.
Perhaps, most importantly, in order to receive this benefit, the child must prove that he is legally disabled as the Social Security Administration defines that term. In order to do so, the child will have to show, among other things, that she is incapable of performing substantial gainful activity. In plain English, this means the child has a condition or conditions that make finding any job for which he is otherwise qualified quite difficult.
For adult child benefits though, the applicant for Social Security will also have to prove that her disability set in before she turned 22. This benefit can help provide a young adult with a disability with valuable financial support through his parent’s Social Security earnings. Proving a San Diego resident is entitled to this benefit can be complicated, just as complicated as a more conventional application for disability benefits.