U.S. Senators Urge the Social Security Administration to Improve Access to SSI Benefits for Children with Disabilities
Three U.S. Senators have written a letter to Kilolo Kiijakazi, acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration, urging the department to improve its outreach to parents of children with disabilities who might be eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 11 million children across the nation live in poverty.
The letter states that “SSI benefits, while modest, can have a substantial impact in the lives of families of children with disabilities. In 2020, approximately 354,000 children were lifted out of poverty through SSI.”
The Senators – Ron Wyden (OR), Bob Casey (PA) and Sherrod Brown (OH) – have asked Kiijakazi to provide a briefing to the senators within 60 days that includes information about “SSA’s plans to target potentially eligible children through existing Federal and State data, as well as other
outreach strategies SSA is exploring.”
Read Senator Wyden’s press release.