When a child is born with a serious disabling condition, this can impact every aspect of life. While children with disabilities are entitled to a public education, with appropriate accommodations made for their disability, disabled students generally graduate at lower rates than students who are not affected by physical or mental conditions.
When disabled students are unable to get a high school or college education, this adversely impacts their ability to make a living. Many young people with disabilities will not be able to become self-supporting, both because of the limitations imposed by their condition and because of the challenges associated with obtaining a quality education and employment skills. These disabled children may rely on federal benefits both during their childhood and when they reach adulthood.
Parents need to understand the rules for when children may qualify for disability benefits. Children may potentially be eligible for SSI, depending upon income and resource levels when they are young and when they reach adulthood and become independent.
Children who are born with a disability will not earn enough work credits on their own in many cases to qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), but could potentially qualify as Adult Children under a parent’s work record– which could provide a higher level of monthly income than SSI. A Boston Social Security Disability lawyer can provide assistance to parents in understanding what types of benefits their child is eligible for and in making a claim for those benefits so a child can have the necessary income.
Young Disabled Children are Graduating at Lower Rates
The 2017 annual update to the report, Building a Grad Nation, reveals discrepancies in graduation rates between children with disabling conditions and young people who are not disabled. Throughout the United States from 2014 to 2015, 83.2 percent of all students received high school diplomas on schedule. However, only 64.6 of students who have disabling conditions received diplomas on time with the class they were supposed to graduate with.
On a state level, the discrepancy was even greater. In a total of 29 states, there was a 20 point discrepancy or more between the general education students who graduated on time and the disabled students who graduated on time. Massachusetts was one of the states with the highest proportion of non-graduates made up of students with disabling conditions. In Massachusetts, 45.3% of the students who did not graduate from high school were disabled.
More resources clearly need to be provided to help ensure students with disabilities are able to get the quality educations they need to set a foundation for success and to be able to graduate with their peers. Unfortunately, even with the proper education, some students may still struggle to earn enough to afford to live independently. It is the parents of those children who will need to be especially vigilant in making sure they explore opportunities to help their children qualify for the maximum in Social Security disability benefits.
If you or a loved one is seeking Social Security Disability Insurance in Boston, call for a free and confidential appointment at (617) 777-7777.
Additional Resources:
Building a Grad Nation, 2017, Johns Hopkins University
More Blog Entries:
Acting Social Security Administration Commissioner Resigns, Feb. 6, 2017, Boston SSDI Lawyer Blog