Question 5

Question: How would a homeless 17-year-old girl apply for SSI benefits? She stays with different relatives and her parents have little or no involvement in her life. Her parents cannot/do not provide for her financially.

Answer: Since the young woman is living away from her mom and dad, she can be eligible for SSI at the full rate if she is “sharing” expenses with whatever relative takes her in. The parents’ income and resources may be of no concern since everyone is living separately, and there are no court orders mandating the parents pay child support. She can be looked at as a separate person, her own “household.”

If she is close to 18 (within a month or two), she can also apply as an adult and ask that her application be effective the first of the month after she turns 18. If SSI wants to look at her parents’ income/resources now (which they shouldn’t due to everyone living separately), then this approach would be easiest on her because at 18, only her income and resources count.

It seems there should be a school social worker who can help her apply (if she is still attending school). If not, any caring friend, teacher, or relative could assist. Developmental Disabilities Services, Workforce Investment Act Youth Programs, and Summit Independent Living are other great resources for her to contact.

She can also call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 and make a phone appointment to fill out the SSI application. (If she doesn’t have a home phone, a Social Security representative can call her at school for the appointment.)

For additional information, please refer to the Fact Sheet “SSI & Children Turning 18” available on the Rural Institute’s Web site at: http://ruralinstitute.umt.edu/training/publications.asp

Home Page | Customized Employment | SSA | Self-Employment
Collaborative Funding | Articles & Products | Training Calendar
Completed Projects | Staff | Other Links | The Rural Institute