Many people move out of their parents or guardians’ home when they turn 18. Moving out often means that you have to spend more on things like food and rent. The rules for determining your SSI benefit depend on your living situation. Your living situation determines your maximum benefit amount and how SSI treats In-Kind support and maintenance.
Many youths transitioning to adulthood go to school around this time in their lives. Going to college can affect your benefits in many ways. For one, it might extend the amount of time you are eligible for your parent’s group health plan. Going to college can also have effects on your SSI benefit. You may be eligible to continue receiving the Student Earned Income Exclusion (SEIE). College can also be part of a PASS plan. PASS and the SEIE can work together to help you maintain your benefits as you go to school. (See above for more information on PASS, the SEIE, and how they interact).
When you go to school, you may be eligible for financial aid from the government and private sources. There are many different types of federal aid. To apply for them, you have to fill out a standardized application called the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
. You may be eligible for grants like the PELL grant, which you don’t have to pay back, and loans, which you do. Generally, the loans have a low interest rate. Student loans may also come in the form of work-study, where you receive financial aid by working at your college. SSI does not think that money you get from financial aid can go to supporting your basic needs, so they don’t consider this money when determining your benefit. You also may be eligible for scholarships from your prospective school or through a private organization. See the Benefits at 18 Resource Page for more information on federal and private aid.
You might go to work. When you get a job after turning 18, the income you earn can affect your benefits. These changes aren’t specific to youth, so you can learn more about these changes in the Social Security disability programs sections of DB101. Note that you may be able to qualify for SSDI and Medicare with just one and a half years of work experience.
You might get married. Getting married will not affect SSDI. If you’re on CDB, getting married will lead to a loss of your CDB benefits, unless you’re marrying someone on SSDI or CDB themselves. If you’re on SSI, it can change the amount of your benefit check. This is because SSI assumes that you can use some of your spouse’s income to pay for your basic needs, so your check from SSI doesn’t need to be as high. This is called spousal deeming.
Sources
The following links are provided for those who want detailed information on Benefits at 18. For those looking for more general information, please go to DB101’s Benefits at 18 Resources Page.
The Social Security Program and Operations Manual System (POMS) gives detailed information on policies and procedures related to Social Security benefits.
The Virginia Commonwealth University Benefits Assistance Resource Center published and updated an excellent Briefing Paper on “Social Security Disability Benefit Issues Affecting Transition Aged Youth ”.
