It is an unfortunate reality even today that many children suffer an injury or illness at the time of their birth. The life of that child can then often full of challenges, especially financial, owing to the constant medical attention that the child might need through the rest of his or her life. The Social Security Administration understands those challenges and, therefore, it offers certain benefits to children born with birth injuries or illnesses.
Per the existing rules set by the SSA, some children who suffered a birth injury or are afflicted by congenital disease are eligible for Supplemental Security Income, or SSI. The SSA provides this financial assistance to help the parents them meet the various expenses they have to incur in bringing up the child. Some of the more common birth-related illnesses and injuries that are eligible for SSI are total blindness or deafness, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and several intellectual disorders.
Usually, when the SSA determines SSI eligibility, the claimant’s income is a major factor that is taken into consideration. However, as most children do not have any income, the SSA focuses more on the income of the parents and the medical evidence that the parents are able to furnish at the time of application. In addition, the SSA ensures that the medical condition for which SSI is claimed is a birth-related injury or a congenital disease that will last at least for more than one year.
It is true that the SSA wants to help people, especially children, with illnesses and disabilities but the fact remains that the administration may reject SSI claims. Often, such rejects are due to the fact that the application itself was not comprehensive enough or another curable error. Therefore, in order to make sure that an application is complete in all respects and is supported by strong evidence, a parent may choose to consult a disability lawyer. The professional help should help such parents make sure that they present the strongest possible application for benefits.