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Is Your Child Entitled To Back Pay For SSI?
Cassandra Stone
If your child is disabled, they may be eligible for Social Security Income (SSI). The government agency known as the Social Security Administration (SSA) oversees SSI along with Social Security Disability (SSDI) and Social Security retirements plans. Just as with all forms of Social Security benefits, the application and approval process can drag on for some time. This means that children may be entitled to back pay just like disabled workers using SSDI are. There are many rules protecting children from those who might take advantage of their lump-sum distributions, so read on to learn more about SSI back pay.
Back Pay for Children
The way back pay is computed for SSI recipients is different than that of SSDI recipients. For SSDI, the back pay goes back to the date the person became too disabled to work at their job. For children under the age of 18, the back pay is counted from the time of the application to the time of approval. For example, if you applied for SSI on behalf of your son in January of 2019 and the approval came in October of 2019, you would be entitled to 10 months of benefit payments in a single lump sum. The amount you get is based on the monthly payment your son is eligible to receive.
You Must Set Up a Special Bank Account
In preparation for the lump sum back pay settlement, you should set up a dedicated account. All SSI payments are in direct deposit form, and the back pay will likely be the initial deposit into that account. In some situations where the back pay lump sum is higher than a certain figure, another dedicated account must be set up. Once the funds in the special second account are depleted, the account can be closed. The SSA will communicate with you about this issue so you'll have the accounts at the ready when the back pay is approved.
Authorized Uses of Back Pay for Children
As the child's parent, you will likely be in charge of the back pay account. All SSI recipients under 18 must designate a representative payee (likely, you) that is in charge of the bank accounts. The representative payee is responsible for making sure that all money spent is accounted for and that it is used for authorized purposes. Some such authorized purchases include:
- Medical expenses not covered by Medicaid.
- Special assistive devices, furniture, software, building modifications, etc for the home or for transportation purposes.
- Educational needs.
- Caregivers (other than a parent or guardian).
- Physical and rehabilitative therapy.
- In certain cases, basic living needs can be purchased in an emergency situation.
To learn more, speak to a Social Security attorney like those at Gordon & Pont to learn more about what you should do for your child.
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