Social Security Benefits for a Disabled Child Over 18

If you have a child over 18 years old who is disabled, your child may be eligible for disability benefits through either Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The type of benefit available to "adult children" depends on several factors, such as the age at which they became disabled, their current financial situation, and whether their parents are receiving benefits.

Can a Grown Child Collect Their Parents' Social Security?

Much like Social Security retirement benefits, SSDI benefits are available to people who have contributed to the program by way of payroll taxes. Eligibility for SSDI therefore depends on your earnings record. But because the Social Security Administration (SSA) knows that young adults often haven't worked long enough to become insured for SSDI benefits, the agency allows some disabled adult children to qualify based on their parents' work history.

So even if your adult child has never worked, they may qualify for SSDI benefits using their parents' work credits, provided that:

• the child's disability onset date occurred before their 22nd birthday
• they're at least 18 years old
• they aren't married (with some exceptions), and
• they either have a parent who is already receiving SSDI retirement or disability benefits, or they have a parent with a qualifying work history who dies.

In addition to these requirements, you must be able to prove that your child's medical condition keeps them from working full-time for at least a year. To determine whether an adult child can work, the SSA uses the same disability guidelines for an adult who was disabled before the age of 22 as it does for a person who didn't become disabled until later in life.

Can My Disabled Adult Child Continue to Receive Benefits If They Get Married?

Typically, if an adult disabled child marries, the SSA will stop sending them SSDI benefits. But if your child gets married to another adult who is receiving Social Security benefits, they may still be able to receive benefits based on your earnings record.

What If My Child Has Worked?

If your child was disabled before the age of 22 and all the other requirements are met, whether or not they worked doesn't affect their SSDI eligibility. But if your disabled adult child worked enough to become insured for SSDI, they could be eligible for benefits on their own earnings record. Keep in mind, however, that your adult child may be able to get a higher benefit amount based on your work history. It's wise to discuss your options with the SSA.

What Amount of the SSDI Benefit Is My Adult Child Entitled To?

Your child can receive up to 50% of the parent's benefit amount, depending on whether other family members are also getting benefits based on the parent's work record. For example, if you're receiving $1,530 per month in SSDI (the average benefit amount in 2024) and your disabled adult child is the only other family member receiving SSDI on your record, they can expect to receive $765 in monthly payments. Your SSDI benefit won't change if your child starts receiving benefits.

SSI for Disabled Adults

SSI is a needs-based benefit available for disabled people with limited resources. Your adult child may qualify for SSI if they're found to be disabled under Social Security's rules, have income and assets below the eligibility threshold, and can't get SSDI benefits on your work record.

SSI Income and Asset Limits

To qualify for SSI, your disabled adult child's countable income can't be more than the federal benefit rate ($943 in 2024). Countable income can be earned, such as wages from a job, or unearned, like cash you receive as a gift.

Countable income can also be "in-kind" rather than cash. For example, disabled adult children who live with their parents may have the value of the housing they receive counted as in-kind income by Social Security. (Read our article on how in-kind income affects SSI payments to learn more.)

There are some important sources of money that Social Security doesn't count as income, however. Examples include:

• the first twenty dollars of any source of money (called the general exclusion)
• the first $65 of any earned income (wages), plus half of any income over $65
• the value of food stamps
• grants and scholarships used for educational expenses, and
• money provided by other people to pay medical bills.

In addition to the above income restriction, the adult disabled child must not have any resources that, in total, exceed $2,000 ($3,000 if they're married). Resources are things like bank accounts, land, and cash on hand. As with income, the SSA doesn't include everything you own as a resource for SSI eligibility purposes. For example, the value of the house your child lives in and their primary mode of transportation aren't counted as assets.

How Much Can My Disabled Adult Child Get in SSI?

Generally, the most your child can get in SSI payments is the federal benefit rate ($943 in 2024) minus any countable income they've received in that month. Below is an example of how a disabled adult child can calculate the SSI payment amount.

Several factors can complicate the calculations. For example, many states provide an additional state supplement for people receiving SSI. The exact amount varies from state to state, but they are typically modest amounts. And if your adult child is married and their spouse is working, the SSA may "deem" part of the spouse's income to your child, treating their spouse's income as their own.

Additional Benefits for Parents Caring for a Disabled Adult Child

SSDI and SSI are the main federal programs providing aid for disabled adult children and their parents, but your state may be able to help you with programs such as caregiver assistance, medical equipment, or health insurance. You can find the name and contact information for your state's social service agency at usa.gov.

Parents of disabled adults may often find themselves needing to advocate for the rights of their child. For example, the federal Fair Housing Act prohibits landlords from discriminating against tenants on the basis of their disability, while the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities. If you think your child's rights under these acts have been violated, Social Security provides a list of disability protection and advocacy organizations in each state. You can contact your state's agency to get information about legal remedies.

Applying for Social Security Benefits as a Disabled Adult

Social Security provides several easy methods to choose from when filing for disability. Adult children who are eligible for SSDI can file online using the SSA's web portal. Those who are eligible for SSI will need to make an appointment with your local Social Security field office to apply. You can find the office closed to you by entering your zip code into the agency's locator tool. Or, you can call the national Social Security hotline at 800-772-1213 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, and speak with a representative.

You don't need to have a lawyer at any step of the disability process, but due to the technicalities involved in adult disabled child cases, it can be a good idea to speak with a disability attorney. Most disability attorneys offer free consultations, so you can ask around to find a representative with experience dealing with disabled adult child benefits.