The Social Security Disability Insurance is available for adults disabled since childhood. The SSDI program pays benefits to adults who have a disability that began before the age of 22. The SSDI benefit is paid on a parent’s Social Security earnings record and therefore is seen as a “child’s” benefit.
A disabled adult to become eligible for this child benefit must meet one of the following requirements:
- One of his or her parents must be receiving Social Security retirement or disability benefits.
- One of his or her parents must have died and have worked long enough under Social Security.
The benefits are available to an adult who received dependents benefits on a parent’s Social Security earnings record prior to age 18 if he or she was disabled at age 18. The same disability rules apply as for adults in order to receive a disability decision.
A disabled adult is eligible for these benefits as long as the individual remains disabled. The individual does not need to have worked in order to qualify.
