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Social Security’s Gift to Children Is Security
By Phil Walton, Social
Security Manager in Toledo, OH
The Truth Contributor
This is the season of caring. No matter your religion or
belief, December is also considered a time to focus on the
children we love. Whether we’re wrapping Santa’s gifts,
buying Hanukkah treats, decorating the house in celebration
of Kwanzaa, or volunteering for a toy drive, children add
joy to the holiday season. And we at Social Security
definitely know a thing or two about helping children.
Often overlooked in the paperwork that prospective parents
fill out in preparation for a child’s birth is an
application for a Social Security number and card.
Typically, the hospital will ask if you want to apply for a
Social Security number for your newborn as part of the birth
registration process. This is the easiest and fastest way to
apply. The Social Security card typically arrives about a
week to 10 days after that little bundle of joy! You can
learn about Social Security numbers for children by reading
our publication, Social Security Numbers for Children,
available at
www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs.
A child needs a Social Security number if he or she is going
to have a bank account, if a relative is buying savings
bonds for the child, if the child will have medical
coverage, or if the child will receive government services.
You’ll also need a Social Security number for a child to
claim him or her on your tax returns.
If you wait to apply, you
will have to visit a Social Security office and you’ll need
to:
•
Complete an Application
For a Social Security Card (Form SS-5);
•
Show us original documents
proving your child’s U.S. citizenship, age, and identity;
and
•
Show us documents proving
your identity.
Remember, a child age 12 or older requesting an original
Social Security number must appear in person for the
interview, even though a parent or guardian will sign the
application on the child’s behalf. Children with
disabilities are among our most vulnerable citizens. Social
Security is dedicated to helping those with qualifying
disabilities and their families through the Supplemental
Security Income (SSI) program. To qualify for SSI:
•
The child must have a
physical or mental condition, or a combination of
conditions, resulting in “marked and severe functional
limitations.” This means that the condition(s) must severely
limit your child’s activities;
•
The child’s condition(s)
must be severe, last for at least 12 months, or be expected
to result in death;
•
If your child’s
condition(s) does not result in “marked and severe
limitations,” or does not result in those limitations
lasting for at least 12 months, your child will not qualify
for SSI; and
•
The child must not be
working and earning more than $1,090 a month in 2016. (This
amount usually changes every year.) If he or she is working
and earning that much money, your child will not be eligible
for benefits.
Learn the details about
benefits for children by reading our publication,
Benefits for Children with Disabilities, available at
www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs. Visit
www.socialsecurity.gov/people/kids to learn more about
all we do to care for children. Caring for the next
generation is a central part of securing today and tomorrow,
during the holidays and all year long.
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