I want to know if anyone can answer my question about s.s.I. and benefits. My daughter was born with spina bifida. She doesn't have a shunt. It didn't affect her mind, she can do almost everything except walk. She can walk with leg braces, crutchesw,etc, She has a two year old daughter. I once called the social security office to ask if there was anyway for rmy daughter to get an s.s.I check for her baby, and they told me no. why is this so? I mean the child is hers, my daughter has no other means of support, just the s.s.I. check in the amount of 577.00 and child support of approximately 240.00 amonth. If anybody can answer my question I would be so thankful.

SSI is a bit different from SSD. If she was collecting Social Security Disability, then yes, her daughter would be eligible to receive a monthly check. Why is your daughter not receiving SSD but SSI instead? She needs to look into getting SSD. Have her go down to the Social Security Disability Office in person and ask them for the paperwork. Once she is denied then she can take her denial letter to an attorney and the attorney will take it from there - even if it takes years to get approved. When she does apply for disability, she needs to do the paperwork for her daughter to be able to collect the monthly child benefit. Then once she is approved, both her and her daughter would get the benefits retroactively from the date the daughter applied for SSD.

SSI is for disabled individuals that either never worked, or didn't work long enough to earn sufficient credits for SSDI. SSDI is an insurance program for workers who become disabled. Did your daughter get SSI because she never worked? Did she have the SSI as a child, then had the benefits converted to her when she turned 18? If she never worked, or didn't earn work credits, she wouldn't be eligible for SSDI, which would cover her and any of her dependent children.

The baby can only get SSI if the baby has a disabilty. SSI is a welfare program for disabled poor and elderly poor. If she had SSDI from the insurance program, the baby would have been eligible for SSDI as well. SSDI insures workers with entitlements should they become disabled under SSA's rules. SSI does not pay benefits to dependents.

Even though she can't get SSI for the baby, her income and household makeup enable her to be eligible for food stamps and WIC for both herself and the baby. Is she getting this? If not, she needs to apply for food stamps for the baby at Social Services, WIC is usually through the Health Department. Does she have all the benefits her state offers for SSI recipients? Some add additional payments to the federal amount. Link-up-America and Safe-Link are two types of discount telephone services available to those with SSI. There is also energy assistence in the form of heat and/or electric. And, of course, daughter can get subsidized housing from HUD, Sec 8 and if rural/semi-rural, FmHa Rural Development.

So, while she can't get SSI for the baby, she can get other benefits. If not getting any of the above, she needs to apply ASAP. All she most likely needs are her Award Letter from SSA and SS cards for her and baby.

PS Is baby's father working? Or is he on any kind of disability himself? Child support payment seems rather low. If baby's dad gets SSDI, baby is eligible based on dad's disability. Something to check into, if it applies.

PPS If your daughter went on SSI as a child, based on her own disability, there is a parent SSDI benefit if child was under age 25 at the time of disability. You may want to look into the possibity of your daughter being eligible for this based on your work history. If anything in this paragraph applies, ask SSA about the disabled adult child benefit based on your eligibility.

Good luck with finding any additional benefits she doesn't have, but qualifies for.