Adoption Assistance Program (AAP) and SSI/RSDI

Children and youth receiving AAP benefits may be eligible for Retirement, Survivor's and Disability (RSDI and/or Supplemental Security Income (SSSI benefits. Since these children are no longer under the authority of the Department of Family and Children's Services (DFCS or the Juvenile Probation Department (JPD, the adoptive parent(s) must apply for their benefits. The Social Services Analyst may assist with the application process but must not act as the Authorized Representative Payee (ARP unless the child or youth returns to dependency. If the child or youth returns to dependency, a Foster Care (FC) case will be opened, and the policy for court-dependent children applies even if the adoptive parents continue to receive AAP benefits. Refer to When to Apply For SSI and RSDI for more information.

RSDI or SSI unearned income is never counted against AAP benefits when determining the AAP rate.

When a child or youth transitions from FC to AAP, any benefits retained that were not eligible for abatement while in FC must be returned to the Social Security Administration (SSA).

Any child(ren) or youth receiving SSI income must report the amount of AAP benefits received to SSA. SSA will determine if the amount of the AAP grant received will impact the amount of SSI benefits. Adoptive parents must refer to SSA any questions they have regarding their SSI or RSDI benefits.

Related Topics

Social Security Administration Benefits