The Basics
If your child gets benefits like Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Medical Assistance (MA), you and your child need to follow the reporting rules so that there are no problems.
Fortunately, the rules are pretty simple. Your child just needs to make sure that all benefits programs know about his or her:
- Earnings from work
- Unearned income
- Assets, and
- Living situation.
If your child is under 18, SSI and MA may also need to know about these for you, your child’s other parent, and your child’s siblings who are less than 18 years old.
How Your Child Can Keep Benefits Up-to-Date
- Keep good records. Your child should keep a copy of all pay stubs, bank statements, benefits letters, and so on. A good idea is to keep all of these records in a binder, so that nothing gets lost. Even if there’s been no change in your child’s income, living situation, or benefits, your child should have these records on hand in case a benefits program wants to review them.
- Report all changes to the appropriate agencies. For SSI, your child should report changes to Social Security. For MA, your child should report to the county human services agency.
- Follow any additional instructions. Sometimes a county caseworker or Social Security claims representative will ask your child to give other information. For example, they might ask for documentation of Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWEs) or proof that your child is in school.
If your child does not report changes, his or her SSI benefit might not be as high as it should be. Or, SSI might send too much, which is called an overpayment. If that happens, your child might have to repay the SSI overpayment.
If MA pays for health care when it shouldn’t have been covered, your child might have to reimburse MA for the cost of doctor’s visits and other medical services.
Learn more
Reporting Changes to SSI
If your child gets Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, any changes in his or her earned income, unearned income, assets, or living arrangements must be reported to the local Social Security office. Living arrangements include where your child lives and if he or she is paying a fair share of housing expenses, such as rent and utilities. If your child is under 18, you and your child’s other parent must also report any changes in your earned income, unearned income, and assets.
Changes must be reported during the first 6 days of the month after the change. They can be reported:
- In person or by phone with your local Social Security office.
- By mail to your local Social Security office. Write “Attention: SSI” on the envelope to make sure it goes to the right place.
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You can also check with Social Security if you can report earnings with:
- The SSI Telephone Wage Reporting System at 1-866-772-0953
- The SSI Mobile Wage Reporting Application available in the Google Play or Apple App stores, or
- The my Social Security online wage reporting tool.
To find the best way to report earnings, talk to the local Social Security office or to a benefits expert.
Tip: Some people report their earned income every month, even when the amount doesn’t change. That way, they know their benefits will always be up-to-date. Your child can sign up to get a monthly reminder to report earnings.
The amount your child gets in SSI benefits this month is generally based on how much income was reported two months ago. For example, the amount your child gets in July is based on the income reported for May.
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Reporting Changes to MA
If your child gets Medical Assistance (MA) benefits, any changes in his or her earned income, unearned income, or living arrangements must be reported to the local county or tribal human services office. If your child is 21 years old or older, changes in assets must also be reported. If your child lives with you or is under 18, you and your child’s other parent must also report any changes in income.
Changes must be reported within 10 days of the change. The easiest way to report changes is by using the Minnesota Health Care Programs Change Report Form and submitting it to the county office.
Note: If there are no changes, your child will still need to report income once every six months.
For SNAP (formerly Food Support/Food Stamps) and MFIP, you and your child should also report any changes to the local county or tribal human services office.
Learn more
Next Steps
Learn More on DB101
Chat with a Hub expert to learn more about options and discover other helpful resources.
Use DB101’s School and Work Estimator to get a sense of how work could impact your child’s benefits.
For more about benefits programs and their rules, read DB101’s articles about:
- Benefits for Young People, including details about many different benefits and how rules change as your child gets older.
- Supplemental Security Income, which covers SSI’s rules in detail.
- Medical Assistance: Overview, which introduces the different ways a person may qualify for MA.
- Building Your Assets and Wealth, an introduction to asset-building strategies.
- Plans to Achieve Self-Support, an in-depth look at the ways a PASS can help.
- Individual Development Accounts, a detailed look at IDAs and how to set them up.
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- Understand your current benefits
- Get help using DB101.org
- Connect to resources
- Plan next steps
Free Legal Help
The Minnesota Disability Law Center (MDLC) provides free assistance to people with civil legal issues related to their disability. Call the MDLC Intake Line at 1-612-334-5970 (Twin Cities metro area), 1-800-292-4150 (Greater Minnesota), or 1-612-332-4668 (TTY).
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You can use MinnesotaHelp.info to find social services near you, from benefits applications to job counseling. |
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