Adults with a severe disability due to cerebral palsy may be eligible for SSI or SSDI benefits. Most adults who have SSI qualified as children; however, it is possible to apply for SSI as an adult even if you didn't qualify before as a child. There are many important factors, such as residual functional capacity (RFC), that greatly influence how you receive the benefits of cerebral palsy. When filling out the application, either online or at your local SSA office, it is essential to answer all questions about your cerebral palsy or your child's cerebral palsy as thoroughly as possible.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has a list of disabilities that automatically qualify for benefits if cerebral palsy is severe enough. If your child's cerebral palsy was due to an avoidable medical error, the hospital and doctor may be responsible for helping to pay for treatment. Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of nervous system problems that are present from birth or shortly after birth. Knowing that infants and children diagnosed with cerebral palsy often need immediate financial help, the SSA provides immediate SSI benefits to children who are likely to be medically eligible for benefits.
If you're older and don't have much education, you're more likely to be approved for disability benefits. While many adults who receive disability benefits qualify as children for SSI benefits for cerebral palsy, it's not unusual for an adult with cerebral palsy to apply for disability benefits for the first time. The SSA details, in an official list of disabilities, how significant the impairments caused by cerebral palsy must be in order for it to qualify as a disability that prevents an adult from working. If cerebral palsy prevents you from working, talk to your doctor about the possibility of applying for disability benefits, as they may be able to provide you with supporting documentation.
If your child has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy and has serious problems speaking, coordinating hand and arm movements, or walking without braces, your child is likely to be eligible for immediate “presumed disability” benefits. The first step in qualifying for disability benefits, either through SSI or SSDI, is to contact the Social Security Administration and schedule an appointment at a local office. If your cerebral palsy doesn't meet the SSA's official cerebral palsy list, you may be able to receive benefits based on a medical-vocational grant if you can show that your cerebral palsy reduces your ability to work so much that there are no jobs you can do, considering your education, previous work experience, and age. After submitting all the necessary medical and financial information to the SSA, a claims examiner will request your medical history, review it with a medical consultant, and decide if you are entitled to disability benefits.
The SSA provides financial assistance to people who are unable to work because of a serious disability such as cerebral palsy. If you or your child has been diagnosed with this condition and you believe that it prevents you from working, it is important to contact the SSA and discuss your options. The SSA has a list of disabilities that automatically qualify for benefits if cerebral palsy is severe enough. Additionally, if your condition does not meet the criteria on this list but still prevents you from working, you may still be eligible for medical-vocational grants based on other factors such as age, education level, and previous work experience.
