As readers in Mobile, Alabama, and the rest of the country know, children with disabilities are entitled to Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits. In order to determine the eligibility, the Social Security Administration (SSA) conducts Childhood Disability Interview and generates a Child Disability Report. This method is applicable to those children for whom the Child Disability Report is not created online.
In order to make sure that the Child Disability Interview is fruitful, there are certain important pieces of information that a parent needs to have ready. Broadly, the information sought can be divided into two categories: medial information related to the child’s disability and other information related to the child.
Under the medical information category, the SSA seeks documents supporting all of the following aspects of eligibility determination before they arrive at decision regarding whether to grant benefits or not:
- Details of doctors, hospitals and clinics that have treated the child in the past one year;
- Medical records of the child, such as dates of medical tests and patient ID numbers;
- Complete list of medication that has been prescribed to the child and that the child is taking; and
- The medical assistance number of the child, in case it is available.
The other information sought by the SSA for determining eligibility would include the following:
- Details of the child’s school, teachers, psychologists and counselors for the past one year;
- The child’s Individualized Family Service Plan or Individualized Education Program;
- Details of social service programs and caseworkers who have information about the child;
- Details of another adult who helps care for the child and has information about the child;
- Birth certificate, proof of U.S. citizenship or legal residency, if born outside the U.S.;
- Social Security Number of the child and all other people who live in the same household;
- Proof of the income of the child and of the family members living in the same household; and
- Proof of resources for the child and the parents who are living in the household.
Those who have this information ready at the time of appearing for the Childhood Disability Interviews are likely to be better equipped to clear the interview at one go than those who do not have the information ready. Therefore, it is imperative to be fully prepared when applying for SSD benefits on behalf of a child.
