Children's Supplemental Security Income Benefits

Welcome to Season 1, Episode 35 of Winning Isn't Easy: Navigating Your Social Security Disability Claim. In this episode, we'll dive into the complicated topic of "Children's Supplemental Security Income Benefits."

For parents of children with disabilities, navigating the Social Security system can feel like a full-time job in itself. Between medical appointments, school meetings, and daily care, adding SSI paperwork and complex eligibility rules to the mix can be overwhelming. Yet understanding how Children’s Supplemental Security Income (SSI) works is essential to securing the financial support your family needs. In this episode of Winning Isn’t Easy, disability law experts Nancy L. Cavey and Krysti Monaco break down everything parents need to know about children’s SSI benefits - who qualifies, what the Social Security Administration looks for, and how to build a strong, well-documented claim. You’ll learn how medical and school records play a role, what kinds of functional limitations the SSA considers, and how income and household resources affect eligibility. We’ll also cover what happens after you apply, what to expect if your child’s claim is denied, and the steps you can take to appeal. Whether you’re just starting the process or trying to understand why a claim was denied, this episode will give you the clarity and confidence to move forward. Because when it comes to protecting your child’s future, knowing how to navigate the SSI system isn’t just helpful - it’s empowering. Winning Isn’t Easy, but with the right information, it can be done.

In this episode, we'll cover the following topics:

One - What Is Children’s SSI, and Who Qualifies?

Two - The Application Process, and Life After Approval

Three - Common Pitfalls and Mistakes, Plus Practical Tips and Advocacy

Whether you're a claimant, or simply seeking valuable insights into the disability claims landscape, this episode provides essential guidance to help you succeed in your journey. Don't miss it.


Listen to Our Sister Podcast:

We have a sister podcast - Winning Isn't Easy: Long-Term Disability ERISA Claims. Give it a listen: https://wiedisabilitypodcast.buzzsprout.com


Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

LINK TO YOUR RIGHTS TO SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY: https://mailchi.mp/caveylaw/your-rights-to-social-security-disability-benefits

FREE CONSULT LINK: https://caveylaw.com/contact-us/


Need Help Today?:

Need help with your Social Security Disability claim? Have questions? Please feel welcome to reach out to use for a FREE consultation. Just mention you listened to our podcast.

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Please remember that the content shared is for informational purposes only, and should not replace personalized legal advice or guidance from qualified professionals.

Transcript

Christy Monaco [00:00:00]:
 Foreign.
 
 Nancy Cavey [00:00:11]:
 Welcome back to Winning Isn't Easy, the Social Security Disability Benefit episode. Now, this is a podcast where we break down everything you need to know about navigating the Social Security system. I'm your host, Nancy Cavey, and today I'm joined by my fantastic associate, Christine Monaco. Now, before we get started, I've got to give you a legal disclaimer. This podcast is not legal advice. The Florida Bar association says I've got to tell you this, but now that I've said it, nothing will prevent us from giving you an easy to understand overview of the Social Security disability claims process, the games that are played, and what you need to know to get the disability benefits you deserve. So off we go. With today's episode.
 
 Nancy Cavey [00:00:53]:
 We're going to be talking about something that is near and dear to many parents heart. That's children's Supplemental Security Income, or ssi. If you have a child with a disability, you may already know how overwhelming the process can be between medical appointments, school meetings, and daily care. Now, adding Social Security paperwork and dealing with the financial eligibility rules on top of everything else can feel impossible. In fact, you feel like you're drowning. That's why today we're going to walk you through your children's ssi, how it works, who qualifies, what the application process looks like, and what to expect if your child is approved or denied. So Christy is going to be talking.
 
 Christy Monaco [00:01:36]:
 About what, why we're talking about this today. So a few months back, I had the privilege of attending the Dysautonomia International Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina. I was there as a legal resource to answer questions and give advice to anybody who may need it. Now, at KV Law, we've traditionally focused most of our work on adult SSDI and SSI cases. That's where the bulk of our practice has always been, for Social Security. But this conference, this experience, shifted something in me. For two full days, I sat at our booth and spoke with people who live every single day with Dysautonomia. If you've ever been to one of these conferences, you know it's not just an event, it's an emotional space.
 
 Christy Monaco [00:02:19]:
 It's people finally finding others who really get it. And for me, it was listening to story after story of people struggling not just with their health, but with the crushing weight of navigating a system that's just not built for them. So I'm going to be honest, those two days were very long. Eight hours each day, back to back conversations, but they were really some of the most meaningful hours I've spent in my career. And out of all of those conversations, I had 16 hours of conversations, there's one that I'm never going to forget. It was with a young woman. She was, I think, 17 years old, living with Potts and Ehlers Danlos. She sat down across from me with her dad and I expected most of the time her dad to do all the talking.
 
 Christy Monaco [00:03:05]:
 That's what usually happens in these types of situations. Parents take the lead. They want to protect, to shield, to explain for their child, be the voice. That's not what happened. Her father actually took a step back physically. He stepped back from the table and he let her have control. For the next 45 minutes. This 17 year old carried this conversation with me confidently, clearly and intelligently.
 
 Christy Monaco [00:03:29]:
 She asked me questions that many adults are too nervous to ask. Questions about the Social Security process. Questions about her future and what that may look like. Questions that show me just how much thought and, and research and courage that she put into preparing for this conversation. As she spoke, I found myself feeling two very strong emotions at the same time. On one hand, deeply impressed. Here was this 17 year old, seriously ill, facing challenges that most people couldn't imagine, yet sitting across from an attorney that she doesn't know and advocating for herself in a way that was mature and well beyond her years. And on the other hand, it broke me a little because it shouldn't take that level of courage at the age of 17 to fight for something as basic as security and support.
 
 Christy Monaco [00:04:15]:
 I glanced at her father a couple of times behind her during the talk as he stood a few steps back. He watched his daughter handling this conversation on her own. The pride in his eyes said everything to me he was gleaming. Not because he wanted to step in and take over the conversation, but because he was really watching his daughter claim her own voice in a world that so often tries to silence or minimize young people, especially young people with disabilities. That moment, those 45 minutes, it really changed me. It was like a light flipped in my head and I realized that children and teenagers living with disabilities and conditions don't just need doctors and therapists, they need advocates. They need someone who understands the Social Security system. Such someone who can stand up for them in spaces that weren't designed for them in mind.
 
 Christy Monaco [00:05:02]:
 Well, I walked away from that conference knowing I couldn't come back to Florida with business as usual. Of course KV Law is going to continue the fight for adults navigating SSDI and ssi. But I knew in that moment that I needed to be here for the children for parents who are terrified for their children's futures, teenagers who are brave enough to take a seat across from an attorney they don't know and ask hard questions, and for families who need benefits just to survive and have a fighting chance of stability. So I came back and I said, nancy, let's take Social Security children's claims. So that's why we're focusing this whole episode on children's SSI benefits.
 
 Nancy Cavey [00:05:42]:
 And I said yes, because clearly these children and their families deserve to know how the system works, what they're entitled to, and how to fight for the Social Security Disability benefits, not only as a, but of course, when they become an adult. So let's get started. We're going to talk about three things today. One, what is children's SSI and who qualifies? Two, what's the application process and what's life after approval? And then three, we're going to talk about the common pitfalls and mistakes, plus some practical tips and advocacy before we get started. Let's take a break and please come back with a paper and a pencil. Also, we do, by the way, ask for questions. And so we won't be able to answer the questions during this episode, but if you have questions, please send us an email or go to our podcast site and send us questions. And I promise you that we will feature those questions in another episode.
 
 Nancy Cavey [00:06:44]:
 So let's take a quick break.
 
 Speaker C [00:06:46]:
 Are you considering filing for Social Security Disability or has your claim been denied already? Either way, you require a copy of your rights to Social Security Disability benefits, which will cover everything you need to know about the Social Security disability claims process. Request your free copy of the book@kvlaw.com today.
 
 Nancy Cavey [00:07:21]:
 Welcome back to Winning Isn't Easy. What is Children's SSI and who qualifies? So Christy, tell us, what is Children's ssi?
 
 Christy Monaco [00:07:31]:
 Sure. So Children's SSI Supplemental Security Income is a monthly cash benefit from the federal government for families that have limited income and resources who are raising a child under 18 and that child qualifies for a disability. Unlike Social Security Disability Insurance, which is based on a person's work history, SSI is need based. Obviously your 13 year old doesn't have any work credits so they would qualify for the ssi. But that means because it's need based, that your household income and your asset matters, your assets matter just as much as your child's medical condition does. To put it plainly, your income as the parent may disqualify your child from being eligible for SSI benefits. You really want to think of SSI as a safety net. It's there to help cover basic living expenses, things therapy costs and other needs and expenses that may arise when you're raising a child with a disability.
 
 Nancy Cavey [00:08:28]:
 So, Christie, let's talk about who qualifies. Now, eligibility is a two part test. It's medical and it's financial. I'm going to talk about the medical criteria. I'll have you talk about the financial criteria. In terms of the medical criteria, the Social Security looks at the medical records to determine if your child's condition is what's called severe. Now, what we think is severe is not necessarily what Social Security is going to think is severe. It has to cause marked and severe functional limitations.
 
 Nancy Cavey [00:08:58]:
 And Social Security has a special listing called the Listing of Impairments. It's a big book. And you can get this big book out and you can kind of read it based on the body system, the body part or system that's impacted. And they obviously have specific listings for conditions like cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, down syndromes and other certain congenital disorders. But even if your child's condition isn't one of the listed conditions, that doesn't mean that your child's going to be denied. Social Security can still find them disabled if their limitations are significant. And again, where Social Security is going to be looking at is, is functionality. There are actually six areas of functionality that Social Security is going to be considering.
 
 Nancy Cavey [00:09:48]:
 Things like learning, mobility, the ability to interact with others, the ability to care for themselves. And so to qualify, the child has to have either marked limitations in two areas or an extreme limitation in one area. And this is where medical treatment is crucial. Medical treatment is crucial in a Social Security disability claim for adults. And, and it is just as crucial for a child's case. The Social Security administration is going to look at the medical records to determine whether your child meets the specific criteria. And therefore, it is very important that you as the parent are giving a really good history of symptoms and functionality as it relates to those categories. And if your child's old enough, like the 17 year old who was very articulate that Christy met, we also want the child to participate in giving this information.
 
 Nancy Cavey [00:10:44]:
 I think that improves the credibility of the claim. So, Christy, let's talk about the financial criteria.
 
 Christy Monaco [00:10:51]:
 So this is where many families get tripped up. Social Security applies something called deeming. D, E, E, M, I, N, G and oh, do I hate that word. So deeming means that Social Security counts a portion of the parent's income and resources and as they are available to the child. So like I said earlier, the higher your income, the less chance that your child is going to be eligible for ssi, it may disqualify them. The thresholds are very complicated, but generally if a family earns above a certain level or has too many assets, the child won't qualify. Same thing if the child has, you know, a retirement plan that the parents are funding and it has too much income in it that the child has access to that may not qualify. So for example, in 2025, if both of the parents are working and there are other kids in the household who are not applying for ssi, Social Security uses a very complicated formula to figure out how much of the parent's income is deemed to the child that can reduce or eliminate eligibility in total.
 
 Christy Monaco [00:11:56]:
 So a lot of times when individuals are calling our office, I'm going to have a slew of questions, not just about the children, but about the parents because it's just as equally important that we understand is the child financially eligible because we don't want to go through all the hassle and the forms of filling this out just to find out that they don't qualify because of the deeming rules.
 
 Nancy Cavey [00:12:17]:
 So Kristi, what kind of financial questions are you going to be asking and how do you deal with parents reluctance to provide you with that information because after all, it's personal and confidential.
 
 Christy Monaco [00:12:29]:
 Absolutely. So I'm typically asking for the whether or not the person I'm speaking with is married and if they are, if they're living in the same household as the child. I need both of their gross income and I, I don't necessarily ask for documentation. I'm really trusting them on their word. So I'm not getting too personal at that point. But I am letting them know that if they lie to me then that could impact the eligibility of the child. Right. And I'm just trying to figure out if there's eligibility.
 
 Christy Monaco [00:12:59]:
 So far nobody has really lied to me. So I get their income, their gross income and I need to find out if there's any other children in the household and whether or not those children are also applying or are on SSI disability. So each child is allocated a certain amount of the parents income so that we can get down to that deeming amount. So it's basic information. I haven't had too much pushback. I'm sure I will. But I'm not really asking for tax returns at this point. Now if we file and Social Security pushes back and says my calculations are wrong, then yes, that's information that we would get to establish our side, but really I'm just needing gross income and the amount of other children that are in the household.
 
 Nancy Cavey [00:13:43]:
 And what's the look back period for this income?
 
 Christy Monaco [00:13:46]:
 So it's really at the time that you apply. So SSI you when you file, you're doing a protective filing date, Right. For SSI when you file, that becomes the date of disability. That's your protective filing date. So I'm looking at the income or the assets of the ch. The child at that time.
 
 Nancy Cavey [00:14:03]:
 Assets of the family or the child or both?
 
 Christy Monaco [00:14:06]:
 Both.
 
 Nancy Cavey [00:14:08]:
 Okay. All right, let's take a break and when we come back, we're going to be talking about the application process and life after approval. Welcome back to Winning Isn't Easy. The children's disability application process and life after Approval. So the application process is, as every Social Security claim, a bit complicated. There are three main steps that our office is going to take when we file a child's case. And remember, this will only happen after we determine that you financially qualify. So number one, we want to gather the medical records or have you gather the medical records.
 
 Nancy Cavey [00:15:01]:
 And we want the entire chart, including therapy notes, IEPs from schools, hospital records, any testing that's been done at the school. We want to have a complete understanding of what's going on. So what is an iep? Well, it's a personalized roadmap detailing specialized instructions, accommodations and support services to help the student make progress in their education by addressing their unique needs. Now the second thing we're going to do is file the application. Now, you can do part of it online, but Social Security will normally require an in person or phone interview for a child's case. And number three is cooperating with their review, they may send your child to a consultative exam with one of their doctors. Consultative exams are a bit odd in my view. And if there is a request for social by Social Security for a consultative exam, we always want to see if they will accept the treating physician as a consultative examiner because they know your child better than anyone else.
 
 Nancy Cavey [00:16:14]:
 In our SSDI adult cases, we'll see claims examiners who are podiatrist, you know, looking at cases involving, let's say Ehlers Danlos or another disease like a heart condition that they don't necessarily have training in. And I kind of scratch my head and wonder why on earth are you having a CE with a provider who is not competent or qualified? And of course in those instances we're going to challenge that. But if there is a request by Social Security for a cell and you're not represented, you should be asking the Social Security Administration's person that you're dealing with at the local office if they would accept the treating physician as the CE examiner. Now, another problem with ces that we find is that the CE doesn't always have the records, the medical records, or they'll cherry pick the medical records. And again, that's something that we object to in our adult disability cases on the basis that the CE's opinion should not be given much weight because they didn't have the medical information or the relevant medical information. And I will tell you Social Security is not wild about you showing up at the CE's office with a pile of medical records. But that's a conversation for a different day. So this process can take months, sometimes years.
 
 Nancy Cavey [00:17:37]:
 And I will tell you that about 60 to 70% of claims are denied at the initial level and that's why appeals are so important. And we'll talk about that in our next segment. But Christy, let's talk about a life after approval. What happens?
 
 Christy Monaco [00:17:52]:
 So before I get into that, I do want to touch a little bit on IEPs and what you were talking about and what they are. And I want to really explain why they're so important. If you remember, earlier on, Nancy was talking about the six areas of functioning that Social Security is going to be focusing on, which is far different than what they're looking at for an adult SSDI claim or SSI claim. And the reason why we want these IEPs is because the very first, first thing they're looking at is your child's difficulties with learning, interacting with others. And the ieps is where we're going to get that information, right, that those IEPs are going to be talking about the special programs that were built for this specific child because of their unique needs, like Nancy said. And so we want to make sure school records are super important in a child's case. We want to make sure that we're documenting any difficulties with learning, any inner difficulties with interacting with classmates, teachers, cafeteria aides, anybody like that. So we do want to make sure school records are a big thing.
 
 Christy Monaco [00:18:54]:
 That's one thing I do get pushback on, is getting school records. But I do think that's really important and does lead oftentimes to an approval. So now I will go to life after an approval. So if the child is approved, they will start receiving a monthly check and that is going to depend again on the family income. Like I said, your income could reduce eligibility. So maybe they don't get the full SSI check, it's reduced because your income is too high. Once you're approved, there are a few things that you need to keep in mind. Similar to adult SSI and SSDI cases, there will be redeterminations.
 
 Christy Monaco [00:19:29]:
 So Social Security is going to review your child's eligibility every few years, including your income. Right. So you need to make sure that you're keeping all that in check and that your child is continuing to get treatment. Nancy talked about symptoms and functionality before. Making sure that you're being vocal or if your child's old enough, they're being vocal about what symptoms they're having and how those symptoms are impacting their ability to function in day to day life. Medical continuing disability reviews. Same thing as SSDI and ssi. Right.
 
 Christy Monaco [00:19:58]:
 They're going to check whether or not the child's condition has approved. Now when they do that, they're probably just going to send you an updated 827, which is an authorization, and they're going to go off and request medical records on their own. They're not oftentimes going to tell you, hey, we're doing a review. They don't all the time give you that courtesy. So again, we have to make sure that we're continuing to get that treatment. We're continuing to be vocal about symptoms and functionality. We're continuing to be honest about difficulties they're having in the classroom or if they're working part time under sga, what difficulties they're having at that job. Right.
 
 Christy Monaco [00:20:34]:
 And then once they turn 18, they get reevaluated and they get reevaluated as an adult. So we're back to the SSI 5.
 
 Nancy Cavey [00:20:43]:
 Step sequential evaluation or the SSD and SSI 5 step sequential evaluation. And we'll talk about that in a minute. But the amount of the check also depends on where you live, correct?
 
 Christy Monaco [00:20:59]:
 Yes, oftentimes it does.
 
 Nancy Cavey [00:21:01]:
 Now let's talk about something that I think is important. And that 17 year old reminds us that once they become an adult, the standard of disability is going to change. So just because they're getting children's benefits doesn't necessarily mean that they're automatically going to get ssdi. In fact, you'll lose the benefits unless they meet the adult definition of disability, which is a five step sequential evaluation test, which is basically you have a condition that would prevent you from working at least a year or result in your death, that there is no anticipated improvement, that you meet a listing. Now, most people can't go back to at step four, their past relevant work because they don't have any past relevant work. So at step five the issue is can they do other work in the mythical hypothetical, not real world national economy that they wouldn't want to do that does not pay a living wage in view of their age, education, any skills that they may have learned and they probably don't have any in view of whatever their functional, physical, cognitive or psychological restrictions and limitations are. And at that point the physician I think becomes a crucial element in success because we use forms called residual functional capacity forms. Now Social Security won't tell you about those forms and doctors generally don't know about those forms, but those forms will help quantify the diagnosis, perhaps based on the physical exam findings.
 
 Nancy Cavey [00:22:45]:
 We can meet a listing at step three. But more often than not, the residual functional capacity form will quantify your child. Now adults physical, cognitive and psychological functionality. What can they do notwithstanding their disabling medical conditions? And so it's really important again that we are documenting symptoms and functionality that you are working with a physician or a provider who is going to be willing to complete these residual functionalities capacity forms because in our experience those forms and the right forms, the right history make all the difference. Got it. Well, let's take a quick break before we come back and we will talk about common pitfalls, mistakes and give you some practical tips and advocacy.
 
 Speaker C [00:23:38]:
 Struggling with your Social Security disability case? The right attorney can make all the difference. Get our booklet the key to hiring a Great attorney, your Social Security disability case. Discover how to find an experienced attorney who will fight for your rights and navigate the process with ease. Don't leave your future to chance. Request your free copy@kvlaw.com today and ensure you have the expert support you deserve.
 
 Nancy Cavey [00:24:13]:
 Foreign welcome back to Winning Isn't Easy. Let's talk about common pitfalls, mistakes plus some practical tips and advocacy. Christy Common pitfalls and mistakes Sure, I.
 
 Christy Monaco [00:24:30]:
 Touched on this earlier, but not providing enough medical evidence or school evidence, you have to remember children's SSI benefits have a different burden for us to prove than an SSDI claim. We not only need medical evidence, we need school evidence. We need to show they have a difficulty with learning. So we have to make sure we're getting that evidence. This kind of ties into number two, assuming that Social Security will just get your child's records. News flash, sometimes they don't. Social Security is overworked, underpaid, underfunded, and they don't have the capacity to be giving multiple follow ups to thousands and thousands of schools that they're requesting from probably Hundreds of thousands of doctors that they're requesting from, they just don't have the capacity to follow up. So they do have a duty to get them.
 
 Christy Monaco [00:25:18]:
 But guess what? They don't always get them. So we always make sure that they have them. Right. So getting records, getting school records, that's how we're going to win the case. You're not going to win it any other way. Number three, misunderstanding income limits. Again, a claim killer. This is easy.
 
 Christy Monaco [00:25:34]:
 They're going to. That's the first thing they're going to look at, is whether or not they financially qualify. If you as the parent make too much, your child simply doesn't qualify. Number four might be one of the most important is missing deadlines for appeals. SSI has a protective filing date. That means when you file that date becomes your date of disability. If you're denied, you have 60 days to file that appeal. If you miss that appeal, you have to start over.
 
 Christy Monaco [00:26:02]:
 And you don't get the luxury of choosing that first protective filing date like you would with an SSDI claim. That means you lost all of that time. You have to file a new application with a new protective filing date. And now your back benefits are potentially less. So one big mistake I always see is parents call, we're doing the consultation, and they say yes, we've applied three or four times before and we've gotten denied. And I asked them, did you appeal those three or four times? And the answer is no. So whether that was three years ago, two years ago, you potentially just lost all of that time because SSI does have that protective filing date rule and.
 
 Nancy Cavey [00:26:39]:
 You lose the money. Yep. So I want to pound on school evidence. We use school evidence in our adult cases when we have a person who has cognitive issues or has other issues that will impact on their social or psychological or intellectual functioning. And so it's not uncommon for us to ask for the school records. And what we're looking for are not only the grades, the grade reports. We're also looking for testing. Now in a children's case, we're looking for the plan, but we're also looking for more in that depending on how old they are, sometimes statements from guidance counselors, sometimes statements from teachers, sometimes statements from others who are interacting with the child in the school setting can also really help the Social Security Administration get it.
 
 Nancy Cavey [00:27:48]:
 We're trying to paint a picture. And that picture is not only the medical records that give the good history of symptoms and functionality, but we also have the school records that corroborate that. And as appropriate Statements that are also cooperative. So we're looking, if you will, longitudinally across time for evidence that is consistent that demonstrates the difficulties with those six areas of functioning. And you should be keeping those six areas of functioning in mind as you are seeing the doctor or you're dealing with the school. Because that documentation about those six areas of behavior are really key to getting the benefits. So, Christy, practical tips and advocacy.
 
 Christy Monaco [00:28:34]:
 Keep a binder of any medical records you have in your possession and any school records. If you have parent teacher conferences where you get a printout, it's talking about your child's inability to keep up with learning or their problems they're having interacting with their classmates or the teacher. Keep those. Those are all going to be really good evidence that we're going to want to supply. Number two, this is something that we tell our adult SSD and SSI clients all the time. Document daily challenges in a journal or on a notepad. And not only just document them, but provide that the treating physician oftentimes there's a gap of time from when you see your physician to your next appointment. And a lot happens during that time.
 
 Christy Monaco [00:29:15]:
 So documenting is going to help you and help your child remember all of the difficulties and challenges that they had during that timeframe from the last time they saw the physician. Number three, stay on top of Social Security deadlines. 60 days can fly by like that. So you want to make sure you get a denial. You're immediately either filing an appeal or calling an attorney for help. Calling somebody doing something to within that 60 days because you would not believe how quickly 60 days can go. And then you just lost that time and have to start over. And then number four, don't be afraid to ask for help.
 
 Christy Monaco [00:29:51]:
 Call, ask all the questions. Be like that 17 year old that I met at the Dysautonomia Conference. Just ask the questions. The worst thing that we're going to do is tell your child's not eligible and that's just based on probably off your income or they're not getting medical treatment, which is also disastrous. So get medical treatment, but ask for help. Right. You, I want you all that are watching this to remember that 17 year old girl that sat across from me, she had no idea who I was. She said she saw me the day before.
 
 Christy Monaco [00:30:21]:
 This was the second day. She was actually the very last person I spoke to right before I packed up and headed back to Florida. So be like her. Ask the questions. Like Nancy said, if you are afraid to call and ask the questions, email us the questions. We'll talk about them on another episode. Go on our podcast website. Ask the questions there.
 
 Christy Monaco [00:30:41]:
 Just ask the questions. Because getting the answers is the best thing you can do for both yourself and your child.
 
 Nancy Cavey [00:30:46]:
 And as part of the advocacy, I want you to be thinking ahead. This 17 year old was thinking ahead. And so when your child who is on children's SSI benefits turned 17, I want you to start thinking about the application for SSDI so that it is filed on their 18th birthday. And again, the standard of disability is different. We're using the five step sequential evaluation test. But a lot of the proof is going to be the same. You're going to have to go through this application process and it can take a year, two years or more, depending on where you live, to get through the SSDI application process. So I want you to be thinking ahead so that on their 18th birthday this application is ready to file.
 
 Nancy Cavey [00:31:44]:
 You've got the medical records, you've got the RFC forms. Better yet, you've consulted with an experienced SSDI attorney who can help you and your family navigate this transition from children's SSI to adult SSDI benefits. Got it. Well, that's it for this episode of Winning Isn't Easy. I have found her story, the 17 year old girl's story, inspiring. So inspiring. As I said, we're now doing children's SSI work and children's SSI can make a huge difference for families. But we know that this system is not easy to navigate.
 
 Nancy Cavey [00:32:22]:
 The process is about persistence, organization and knowing your rights and your children's rights. If you found this episode helpful, please take a moment to like our page, leave a review, share it with your family and friends and as Christy has said, ask us questions. We will, you know, answer those questions at the beginning of each episode description. You're going to see the link where you can send us those questions and comments. Please join us next week for another insightful episode of Winning Isn't Easy. Thanks Christy. And thanks everyone for listening.