Understanding Supplemental Security Income
SSI Spotlight on Deeming Parental Income
and Resources
2012 Edition

I have a disabled child under age 18 and I am working.

Possibly. We consider some of your incomeincome and resourcesresources to be available to your child. They may affect whether your child can get SSI benefits and how much. The process of determining how much of your incomeincome and resourcesresources we will count is called "deeming."

Deeming applies if the parent(s) has incomeincome and/or resourcesresources that we must consider.

AND

The child:

	is under age 18; and
	lives at home with his or her natural, or adoptive   parent(s); or
	lives away at school, but comes home on some weekends, holidays, or school vacations and is subject to parental control.

Yes. A stepparent's incomeincome and resourcesresources count as long as the natural or adoptive parent lives in the home.

We do not deem some types of incomeincome and resourcesresources.

Examples of incomeincome that we do not deem are Temporary Assistance for Needy Families; Department of Veterans Affairs' pension; general assistance; foster care payments for an ineligible child; and income used to make court-ordered support payments.

Examples of resourcesresources that we do not deem are a home, one vehicle that is used for transportation and money in pension funds.

For the types of income and resources that we do use in the deeming process, only a portion is deemed to the child.

Deeming stops the month after a child turns age 18. Therefore, a child who could not receive SSI because of deeming may be able to get SSI when he or she turns age 18.

Deeming does not apply in some other situations.