How Much Can a Parent Make for a Child to Get SSI?

How Much Can a Parent Make for a Child to Get SSI?

If you are a parent of a disabled child who is under age 18, your child may qualify to receive a monthly Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payment to help pay for their needs. The child’s eligibility will be determined by your income level and the value of your available countable resources. The Social Security Administration (SSA) “deems” a portion of the parents’ income to the disabled child. If the deemed income does not exceed the designated SSI income limit, then the child will qualify.

The maximum amount of income you or others in your household can make and still qualify your child for SSI benefits depends on several factors that vary from one family to another:

• the number of parents living in the household, and
• each household member’s unearned income and earned income, and
• the number of non-eligible minor children in the household, and
• the number of eligible minor children in the household.

At M.J. Ellis Disability Law, we work with the SSA’s complicated financial formulas every day and we know exactly what the SSA will count toward your child’s deemed income. If you need answers to determine how much SSI your child is eligible for, contact the Disability Law Office of M.J. Ellis today at (973) 940-8635 or email at mjellis@mjellislaw.com. We’re here to help your disabled child get the SSI benefits they deserve.

Your Child’s SSI Benefit Depends on Your Income

The Social Security Administration (SSA) uses a complicated, multipart formula to determine how to count a parent’s income for purposes of setting a disabled child’s SSI benefit amount. The theory underlying the process is that a disabled child whose parents are not financially needy is not eligible to receive payments from a needs-based program like SSI. Only children whose parents or families have low income and very limited resources qualify.

To find the amount of a parent’s income to “deem” to the child, the SSA considers how much earned income and how much unearned income the child’s parent receives each month. The income caps change every year to account for inflation. In 2022, a single parent can have as much as $1,998 in unearned income and still collect SSI payments for their disabled child. A two-parent home will still qualify if their unearned monthly income does not exceed $2,390. However, your individual circumstances may allow more deductions and credits.

Consulting with an expert SSI or SSD lawyer is essential before you conclude you make too much income. Check with an experienced SSI lawyer at M.J. Ellis Disability Law first.

Unearned income includes the funds and benefits you receive without providing work, services, or products for sale. These include SSDI benefits, worker’s comp, unemployment, rent subsidies, gifts, and other publicly funded and charitable assistance.

Earned income is precisely that; it is income a parent receives in exchange for providing services, labor, or for selling property. The maximum earned income a single parent can earn and still receive SSI for one disabled child is $3,649 per month. A couple can earn up to $4,433. Remember, though, that these figures are based on one disabled child only.

Multiple Disabled Children and Increased Income Levels

Families managing the needs of more than one SSI eligible child are allowed higher monthly income. This is a function of the SSI program’s recognition that each adult and each child requires a minimum sum of money each month as a living allowance.  

Once the total gross income (countable unearned and countable earned income) is determined, then a living allowance credit is applied for each adult. If there is one adult, $821 is the living allowance; if two parents, $1,261 is allowed. Each non-eligible child in the household is a credited $420 living allowance.

Still, the SSA does not count all a parent’s income. Instead, the government applies any earned income credits available given the circumstances of the family unit. Once all credits are applied, then a standard formula is applied starting with any remaining countable income.

Deeming Income to the Disabled Child

After all credits and deductions are applied and the parent’s final countable income figure is determined, any remaining income can be deemed to be available to the disabled child. Every recipient of SSI benefits is entitled to the maximum benefit amount of $841 minus their deemed countable income.  

Experienced SSI Disability Lawyers Can Help Answer Your Income Questions Today

If you have questions for an experienced Northern New Jersey SSI or SSDI lawyer, Maryjean Ellis and her team of caring disability advocates and disability claims experts want to hear from you today. Don’t wait for another moment to call us because your child deserves every dollar of Supplement Security Income they are entitled to. Disabled children who are vulnerable to financial need are our most important clients.

M.J. Ellis Disability Law Office works exclusively with disability claims and related legal issues. You and your child can only benefit from calling us right now. We can tell you if you or your child qualifies for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSD or SSDI) benefits, or Medicaid, and we can help you prepare and file your claim. We’ll be with you through the process from the start to finish.