Many taxpayers understand that Social Security Disability benefits are available to individuals who are disabled due to a disability that prevents them from performing gainful work activity. What some of these people do not realize is that adults are not the only individuals who are eligible for Social Security Disability benefits. In some cases, a child may qualify for Social Security Disability benefits as well. These benefits are known as Childhood Disability Benefits, or CDB.
When a child suffers from a severely debilitating condition it is not uncommon for the situation to take a financial toll on the family. The Social Security Administration has noted this and has included some childhood disabilities in its list of qualifying disabling conditions known as the disability “Blue Book”. If a child has a condition that meets the criteria of a listing that is included in this “Blue Book” then that child may be eligible for Social Security Disability benefits from the Social Security Administration.
Obviously if a child is applying for disability, that child will not have enough work credits to qualify for SSDI payments. Instead, the parents’ work history will be taken into consideration to determine whether or not enough work credits have been earned for SSDI benefits. If enough work credits have not been earned, then the child may still qualify for disability benefits in the form of SSI (Supplemental Security Income) benefits if the child’s family meets certain income and asset guidelines.
A child must go through the same Social Security Disability application process as an adult in order to obtain childhood disability benefits. This means applying for benefits and providing the SSA with enough medical evidence to prove the severity of the child’s condition and that the condition meets the criteria that has been set in the Blue Book under the listing for the condition that the child is applying under.
