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What Parents Need To Know About Back Pay And SSI

The Social Security Administration (SSA) offers several benefit programs for those with medical or mental health conditions. Retirement benefits are available for those who have paid into the system and are at retirement age. If you must stop working before retirement age, you may earn Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. Finally, those who don't have a work history can earn benefits through Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Both adults and children can earn SSI benefits and they are also eligible for back pay. Read on and find out more.

What is Back Pay?

The SSA provides approved applicants with monthly payments. Those payments begin to accrue during the time the SSA is considering their case. Then, when the claimant is approved, the funds are paid in a single, large, lump-sum payment. Since it can take several months for a case to be determined, back pay is usually a welcome infusion of needed cash. Most of the time, claimants can use the back pay funds for anything they want. However, certain rules must be followed when the claimant happens to be a child.

Back Pay for Children

Children qualify for back pay but an adult must oversee the funds and make them available for the child to spend on certain expenses. While the parents of the child may be the ones put in charge, other responsible adults in the child's life may also be named as representative payees of the funds. In some cases, third-party agencies are designated as the representative payee. Here is what the representative payee is tasked with doing:

• They set up a bank account expressly for the back pay deposit.
• The bank account must be used only for the back pay.
• In many cases, the representative payee also sets up a bank account for the regular monthly payments at the same time. Each account may only hold a certain sum of money. The SSA directs the representative payee to open additional accounts when the balance reaches a certain amount.
• The back pay account may be closed once the money is gone.
• The representative payee must report all activity for the bank account to the SSA.
• The money may only be used for medical needs, caregiving, education, job training, home and transportation modifications, physical or mental health therapy for the child, and, in certain cases, food and shelter.

If your child has been turned down for benefits, be sure to take advantage of the opportunity to appeal the decision. Speak to a Social Security lawyer about representation at an appeal hearing so you can explain how the child needs benefits. Speak to a lawyer to find out more, such as one from Attorney John B. Martin Law Offices.