The Basics
If your child gets benefits like Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Medi-Cal coverage, 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
- Resources, and
- Living situation.
If your child is under 18, SSI and Medi-Cal may also need to get this information 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 have 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 Medi-Cal, your child should report to the local county social services office.
- 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 for the Student Earned Income Exclusion (SEIE).
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 Medi-Cal pays for healthcare when it shouldn’t have been covered, your child might have to reimburse Medi-Cal 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, resources, 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 resources.
Changes should 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 planner.
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.
Learn more
Reporting Changes to Medi-Cal
If your child has Medi-Cal coverage, he or she needs to report any changes in earned income, unearned income, and living arrangements within 10 days of the change. You and your child's other parent must also report changes if you live with the child and your child either gets income-based Medi-Cal coverage or is under 18.
How to report changes depends on how your child qualifies for Medi-Cal:
- If your child gets Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits or qualifies for SSI 1619(b), he or she only has to report to the local Social Security office.
- If your child doesn't get SSI, report to the local county social services agency.
For CalFresh (formerly Food Stamps) and CalWORKs, you and your child should report changes to the local county social services agency.
Learn more
Resources
Learn More on DB101
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.
- Medi-Cal, health coverage for people with and without disabilities.
- 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.
Getting Help with Your Benefits
If you get Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), or Childhood Disability Benefits (CDB), and you're looking for a job, a trained Benefits Planner can help you avoid problems with your job plan. If you need help or have questions about your situation, you can call the Ticket to Work Help Line at 1-866-968-7842 or 1-866-833-2967 (TTY), Monday through Friday.
View DB101's full list of experts who can help you understand different benefits.
Community-Based Organizations
Various community-based organizations guide people through state, federal, public, and private health and income programs. Some organizations may work with specific populations while others work with people with any type of disability. Here are a few examples
Goodwill Industries services range from personal evaluation and office skills training to career counseling, childcare, and transportation. Some Goodwill Industries centers also do benefits planning for people who get SSI, SSDI, and Medicare. Find locations at www.Goodwill.org, or by calling (voice) 1-800-466-3945.
The California Foundation for Independent Living Centers lists centers serving people with all disabilities. Many of these centers do benefits planning for people who get SSI, SSDI, and Medicare. If they don't offer benefits planning themselves, Independent Living Centers can refer you to local benefits planners. Find the list of independent living centers at www.CFILC.org, or by calling (voice) 1-916-325-1690 or (TTY) 1-916-325-1695.
The California Department of Public Health's Office of AIDS lists 1,300 organizations offering HIV/AIDS services throughout California. Some of these organizations provide case management, benefits planning, and benefits counseling services that can include help with public and private benefits programs. You can search the list online, or call (voice) 1-800-367-AIDS (2437) or (TTY) 1-888-225-AIDS (2437).
Disability Rights California provides representation for consumers of public programs who are disabled. Website publications include topics on health care, benefit programs, and In-Home Supportive Services.