Social Security Child Disability Benefits

Unlike adults, children are not evaluated based on their ability to work. Instead, Social Security looks at how the disability affects the child’s ability to function compared to other children of the same age.

A child may be found disabled if they:

• Meet or medically equal a condition listed by Social Security.
• Or, “functionally equal” a listing by showing:
  
  • Marked limitations in two functional domains, or
  • An extreme limitation in one domain.
  • 
    

Functional domains are broad areas of daily life, such as:

• Learning and applying information
• Attending and completing tasks
• Interacting and relating with others
• Moving about and manipulating objects
• Caring for personal needs
• Health and physical well-being

To qualify, the child’s disability must be supported by medically acceptable evidence, such as:

• Doctor’s reports and clinical findings
• School records and evaluations
• Information from teachers, therapists, or caregivers

Social Security often uses school performance, developmental milestones, and daily activities to evaluate whether the child is functioning at an age-appropriate level.

Children receiving SSI benefits must undergo a disability re-determination at age 18. At that point, Social Security applies the adult disability rules, which are often stricter. Our team helps families prepare for this transition to avoid interruptions in benefits.

Applying for child disability benefits can be overwhelming and confusing. Many families are denied simply because of incomplete paperwork or insufficient evidence. That’s where we come in:

• We prepare and file your application.
• We work with doctors, schools, and caregivers to gather the strongest possible evidence.
• We represent you in appeals if your child’s claim is denied.
• We fight to protect benefits when your child turns 18.

For over 30 years, our disability experts have helped California families secure benefits for their children.