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Forum|Forum|3 months ago
March 9, 2026
2 replies
1 view

If my disabled child is on SSI and we both live with my mother paying a fair share of rent, ect. Would my mother still be able to claim her? And would it somehow effect the amount that she receives?

Best answer by DaveF1006

Expert Reviewed

Yes, your mother can claim your disabled child as a dependent if your chld meets the qualifying children test.

Relationship test

The child must be related to the taxpayer in one of these ways:

Son, daughter, stepchild, foster child

Brother, sister, half‑sibling, step‑sibling

A descendant of any of the above (grandchild, niece, nephew)

Age test

The child must be:

Under age 19 at the end of the year, or

Under age 24 and a full‑time student, or

Any age if permanently and totally disabled

Residency test

The child must live with the taxpayer for more than half the year. Temporary absences (school, medical care, military service, etc.) do not break residency.

4. Support test

The child cannot provide more than half of their own support during the year. Support includes housing, food, medical care, education, and other living expenses.

This does NOT reduce your child’s SSI, because SSI is based on the household’s actual financial support, not on who claims the child for taxes. SSI

Opus 17

Level 15

SSI is needs-based. You are supposed to report to the social security administration, what family resources are available to support the child. You are supposed to report this regardless of how you file your tax return. It is possible that if your mother claims the child as a dependent, this might trigger a review of the situation, but I can't tell you for sure. Since you are supposed to be reporting your mother's support anyway (if you all live together in the same home), putting her on the tax return won't change anything. But if you have not disclosed your full situation, it might. I have no guaranteed answer.

Ignoring SSI, the tax code says that, if you, your daughter, and your mother (the grandmother) all live in a home together, your mother (the grandmother) can claim the child as a dependent if,

1. the child lives in the same home as the grandmother for more than half the nights of the year, and

2. the grandmother's income is higher than your income (grandmother's income is higher than the parent's income).

The fact that your daughter receives SSI does not change this calculation.

DaveF1006Answer

Level 15

Expert Reviewed

Yes, your mother can claim your disabled child as a dependent if your chld meets the qualifying children test.

Relationship test

The child must be related to the taxpayer in one of these ways:

Son, daughter, stepchild, foster child

Brother, sister, half‑sibling, step‑sibling

A descendant of any of the above (grandchild, niece, nephew)

Age test

The child must be:

Under age 19 at the end of the year, or

Under age 24 and a full‑time student, or

Any age if permanently and totally disabled

Residency test

The child must live with the taxpayer for more than half the year. Temporary absences (school, medical care, military service, etc.) do not break residency.

4. Support test

The child cannot provide more than half of their own support during the year. Support includes housing, food, medical care, education, and other living expenses.

This does NOT reduce your child’s SSI, because SSI is based on the household’s actual financial support, not on who claims the child for taxes. SSI

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Opus 17

Level 15

@DaveF1006 wrote:

This does NOT reduce your child’s SSI, because SSI is based on the household’s actual financial support, not on who claims the child for taxes. SSI

This assumes the family has honestly disclosed their living and financial arrangements to the social security administration.