The moral dilemma of SSI

Morgan and I are discussing applying for SSI for Alayna. She had it when she was a toddler because of her eyesight, which helped with the process of going to appointments and affording special food due to her developmental delays. She became ineligible because it was not pursued later. There were issues with the need for SSI that we won't go into in this post. Things have changed, and with multiple specialists being sought to make a go at resolving some of the gait and developmental issues it becomes clear that we are less able to afford the cost involved.

But we had struggled with deciding to apply for SSI. And it's a decision many parents struggle with while others just assume as a correct decision.

Our family is pretty conservative. I don't require the government to give me anything, in my opinion. A good example is that, if markets were better and unemployment was lower, many people could probably live without SNAP benefits, or food stamps. Because SNAP revenue generated from low-to-no-income families affects positively on companies like Walmart and, locally, Winco Foods, these companies have higher demand for relatively cheap prices. Thus, they have the potential to increase prices to improve their profit. However, taking away food stamps could lower demand for higher-priced foods, which would drop the cost of those foods to compensate for the market's decline. In essence, the market would adjust, and we could see an overall drop in cost of living. I could probably afford cheap food and survive without food stamps, but it does help to have those available when you really need it, like when you're paying a large percentage of your income to paying back school loans but don't have the employability to afford the added costs.

Note: I am not an economics major, I just took economics in college. Don't quote me or anyone else who analyzes this kind of change, because the modern economy can wield surprising results, as we've seen in almost every standard in the last decade.

SSI is similar, where I don't believe in just getting the extra income because you can. If you live frugally and can afford to do it on your own, you should attempt to do so.

For some, SSI is almost a right, like getting a paycheck for dealing with your disabled child. The connotation can be overwhelming and affect judgement. I have personally known and witnessed families, both in previous jobs and socially, that have used the fact that their kids have some sort of delay or disability to either afford frivolous things or pay their own bills.

I completely acknowledge that having a disabled child has cost involved. I know first hand.

But there are some parents who just apply for SSI to pay their own bills and completely neglect the needs of the child, assuming instead there's nothing to help them and disregarding the potential of beneficial programs from non-profits and the local and state governments. However, I believe this is a minority.

The truth is that there are plenty of reasons to have SSI, some that are not so obvious as affording some sort of monthly nurse aid or similar direct costs. For instance, a child with autism that does not need specialist care but cannot be put in child care due to local childcare options being inadequate or unequipped to meet the attention needs of the child may require the parent to reduce the hours available to work. This would be indirect cost, and would be reasonable facts to support applying for SSI.

However, a child with mental deficiencies that just socially likes their parents and the parent would rather just be at home with the child is not necessarily a reason to ask for SSI. Parental preference, in the arena of public funds, is tough to use as a basis of eligibility. How do you tell two parents that the one who just wants to stay home with the child has the same eligibility as the other who has to stay home for the child's safety?

The moral dilemma stems from whether you're applying for SSI for personal, or personal finance, reasons or if you are going to use the money for your child. It's an honest question that anyone applying for SSI should ask. You may think it's obvious, but there are times that it's tempting to say, "Well, this way I can afford to buy my kid a tablet for education," but really want the tablet for yourself. 

The best way to resolve the dilemma is to make sure you have attempted everything you can to afford the things you need for your child, from looking for cheap deals to non-profits who offer local programs, before accepting SSI. You can also verify you would need the SSI as a basis for decisions elsewhere in treatments. You will feel better about your decision and have a better idea of how to use your SSI benefit effectively for your child.