Many working parents assume their paycheck automatically prevents a child with a disability from receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI), but the rules are more complicated than that. SSI is needs-based, so family finances matter when a child is under 18, yet Social Security does not simply count every dollar a parent earns. Instead, a process called parental “deeming” determines how much income and resources are treated as available to the child. Understanding child SSI eligibility can help families avoid ruling themselves out before they have examined the numbers.
