A new report recommends that the Social Security Administration take additional steps to ensure it reaches children who qualify for the Supplemental Security Income program. (Disability Scoop)
Thousands of children with disabilities may qualify for government assistance they do not currently receive.
Between 2013 and 2021, there was a 20% drop in the number of children receiving Supplemental Security Income benefits, according to a recently published study. report prepared by the research firm Mathematica for the Social Security Administration.
Children with significant disabilities may qualify for SSI benefits if they are part of low-income families.
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“Because people still need services, declining enrollment suggests there may be more children who qualify for SSI but are not enrolled,” the report stated.
To assess how many children might qualify for SSI, researchers looked at Medicaid data, since the government health insurance program also serves low-income families. They found that more than 110,000 children may be eligible for SSI, an increase of nearly 10% over current participation in the program. But depending on the probability threshold used, the increase could reach 55%.
Overall, the report found that children who likely qualify but do not currently benefit from SSI face barriers to enrolling, use more health care than current beneficiaries, and often have chronic conditions that suggest they have delays in enrollment. development.
“If Medicaid and SSI data could be connected in the future, it could help identify children who are potentially eligible for SSI for targeted outreach,” the report concluded. “Using data could also help streamline the application process, meaning more families could be connected to the resources they need.”
Social Security Administration officials said they are considering ways to act on the report’s recommendations. The agency indicated that it is working with third parties to reach people who may be eligible for SSI and is beginning to see “substantial increases in SSI applications for children.”
More than 997,000 children nationwide were enrolled in SSI at the end of 2022, according to data from the Social Security Administration. These recipients received an average of $731.99 per month.
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