Protect Children’s SSI

Friends –

As part of its efforts to reduce spending on vital human services, Congress is considering a disastrous plan to eliminate Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for children nationwide.  This cash assistance, with an average benefit of $664 monthly, is narrowly limited to the most vulnerable children with disabilities: those who have marked and severe functional limitations who live in a household with low income and few assets.  Often, parents use this income to cover the additional expenses associated with raising a child with disabilities, such as costs for exceptional child care needs, extra utility costs, time off from work to care for their child or take their child to medical appointments, safe and accessible housing, special diets, respite, and health care.

In Pennsylvania, close to 70,000 children are vulnerable to losing their SSI, among 1.3 million children nation-wide.

Disability Rights Pennsylvania is seeking stories from families whose children receive SSI so that we can effectively advocate for continuation of this essential support.  Please fill out our survey at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DRP-SSI-Survey.

If you need a copy of the survey mailed to you, or to speak with a staff person, please call 1-800-692-7443.

There are three things that you can do to help protect SSI for children with disabilities.

1. If you are a family member of a child on SSI, please complete the survey.
2. Please distribute this Alert widely.  If you are a family member or friend, advocate, teacher, case manager, supports coordinator, or other professional serving children with disabilities, please do what you can to reach out to parents and share the survey.
3. Contact your member of Congress to let them know it is wrong to end or cut the SSI childhood disability program and remove essential supports from children with disabilities.  You can click here to send a letter today.

For a list of all US House of Representative members in PA and the numbers of children with disabilities who receive SSI in each of their Districts, click here. When contacting Senators Casey and Toomey, the 70,000 state-wide total figure can be used.

Thank you so much for your staunch advocacy on behalf of children with disabilities.

Disability Rights Pennsylvania
Offices in Harrisburg, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh