Foster youth can apply for Supplemental Security Income benefits 180 days before they age out of the system or return to their families, under a Social Security Administration policy change that took effect Aug. 1.
The six-month window means it’s less likely a foster youth will experience a gap in income as they wait to find out whether they qualify for the program. SSI provides a monthly cash payment to children and adults with limited incomes who are disabled, blind or age 65 or older.
For foster youth who are heading out on their own for the first time, the income is critical as they establish themselves in housing and employment, say advocates for the policy change. Without it, some young people cannot make the transition.
“It could cost you a home, it could cost you a job, it could mean you don’t have enough food to eat that month,” said Claire Grandison, staff attorney and Independence Foundation Fellow at Community Legal Services of Philadelphia.