Social Security childhood disability records - can teen qualify for adult SSDI without work credits?

my kid has similar stuff with EDS and POTS. we tried applying for ssi when she was 16 and got nowhere because of our income. total waste of time tbh. they didnt even look at her medical stuff, just rejected us because we made too much. idk about the work credits thing for adult ssdi though, maybe someone else knows?

What you're referring to is called Childhood Disability Benefits (CDB), formerly known as Disabled Adult Child (DAC) benefits. Here's how it works: 1. You're correct that your child needs to establish that the disability began before age 22 2. However, simply applying for SSI and getting denied due to household income won't necessarily establish this record for future SSDI purposes 3. For future CDB benefits, your child would need to be unmarried and have a disability that began before 22, AND one of the parents would need to be: - Deceased and have worked enough to qualify for Social Security - Receiving Social Security retirement benefits - Receiving Social Security disability benefits Instead of applying now, I would focus on thoroughly documenting the disability through medical records, the IEP, specialist evaluations, and treatment history. When the time comes to apply, this documentation will be far more valuable than a rejected SSI application.

My son has autism and we were in the exact same situation! High family income but worried about his adult future. We waited until he turned 18 then applied for SSI in his name only (not counting our income). He was approved and now gets benefits even though we still support him in our home. You might want to wait until your daughter is 18.

Have you tried calling the SSA to ask about this directly? I spent WEEKS trying to get through to someone who could answer my questions about my daughter's situation. Kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. Finally I used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a real agent in about 15 minutes instead of the usual 2+ hour wait. They have a video demo too: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU When I finally talked to an actual SSA rep, they explained that what matters for the adult disabled child benefits isn't whether you applied before, but whether you can PROVE the disability existed before 22 when you eventually apply. So focus on documentation like others said!

LISTEN CAREFULLY: The SSA system is DESIGNED to reject you multiple times!!!!! Do NOT give up. My daughter has similar conditions and we got rejected THREE TIMES before finally getting approved. The whole system is rigged to hope you'll just give up. And the work credits thing is complicated. If YOUR work record is good, your child can eventually claim on YOUR record once you retire or die (sorry to be morbid but that's how it works). But they have to prove disability started before 22. The SSA LOSES records constantly so keep EVERYTHING yourself!!!

My cousin has EDS and POTS too. She didn't apply for anything until she was 24 and couldn't work anymore, but she was able to get SSDI eventually by providing old medical records from when she was a teenager. So I think the documentation is what matters most, not necessarily having applied before.

btw have u looked into an ABLE account? its a special savings account for disabled people that doesnt count against asset limits for benefits. we set one up for my son and can put money in it for him without affecting his ssi eligibility. might be good for your situation if your financially stable and want to save for her

To summarize the options for your daughter based on what others have shared: 1. Focus on thorough documentation now rather than applying while your income disqualifies her 2. Consider applying for SSI when she turns 18 (though household support may still affect eligibility) 3. Look into setting up an ABLE account to save money for her future without affecting benefits 4. Understand that for future Childhood Disability Benefits (adult SSDI without work credits), she'll need to prove: - Disability began before age 22 - She remains unmarried - A parent is deceased, retired, or disabled and receiving Social Security The most important thing you can do now is maintain excellent records of all medical appointments, treatments, school accommodations, and how her conditions affect daily functioning. This documentation will be the basis for any future claims.