Families that have some member/s with a disability find it highly challenging to do any kind of financial planning, which isn’t easy for anyone. Several types of financial help for the disabled are available if you or any member of your family has some disability. However, navigating different benefits, bills, and accounts is complicated and sometimes overwhelming. The cost of handling disability varies according to the type of disability and its severity. Still, certain conditions incur such high costs that families can never stay prepared to manage them. Nine million families in the US have a child with a disability who needs special care, and many of these families are struggling to mitigate the financial difficulties.
The Necessity for Financial help for the Disabled
The cost of caring for a disabled family member can cause tremendous financial hardships. For example, dealing with childhood autism can be exorbitantly costly, $60,000 per year through childhood at current rates. The costs will increase over the years and become a massive burden for the family. In such situations, disabled financial help can assist families in meeting the high expenses. By 2025, the cost of adult services for autism will be higher than $461 million. Caring for some members affected by cerebral palsy can bend the back of families who must spend at least $1.5 million on average over their lifetime. The figures are the official declaration of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
What to Consider during the Financial Planning?
Families with disabilities can avail of various financial assistance from the federal government and the state that should help them in financial planning for disabled adults and children. However, the financial aid offered to children and adults is quite different. Therefore, knowing the benefits available to children and the changes after the child becomes an adult reaching 18 years should help to organize finances better. It can be the starting point for exploring the benefits like Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Medicaid and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), and many other benefits. You can gather complete information on disability services by browsing the US government website.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
SSI is the most important financial support program for families caring for a disabled child. People with limited resources and income are eligible to receive monthly payments upon enrolling in the program. Children under 18 years can qualify for the benefit if they have one or more medical conditions that match the definition of disability as stated by the Social Security Administration (SSA). To qualify for this program, a young person’s resources and income must meet the eligibility conditions—the family’s disability benefit changes when the child turns 18 as they become adults.
You can apply for SSI benefits online, but before that, you can calculate your family’s entitlement to know the amount of SSI payment your family will receive. The financial help for the disabled goes a long way in supporting the family to take proper care of the disabled.
