Can I claim my 24 year old disabled child who receives SSI as a dependent?

[CarrieH]

Can anyone tell me how claiming my permanently disabled 20 year old son who receives full SSI and no earned income will effect his Illinois Medicaid eligibility?  The tax people I have been able to speak to aren't well versed in the Medicaid/Disability guidelines

[AmyC]

You need to contact your state Medicaid agency to get the answer. As tax people, we keep up with tax laws, not Medicaid laws by state. We can only read the rules we find published which clearly state each case is a little different.

IL says:

What determines if I am eligible?

• Each benefit is a little different but eligibility for all of the ABE benefits are based mainly on:
  1. Who lives in the household. The State needs to know the number of people who live together, their ages, and how they are related to each other. If you are applying for SNAP, we also need to know who buys food and prepares meals together.
  2. How much income each person receives. Income includes money earned from work and income from sources other than work like Social Security, unemployment benefits, or retirement benefits.
  3. For some benefits, the State needs to know about certain expenses like housing, utilities and child support as well as resources such as cash, savings or a checking account.
  4. The State also needs to know if someone is disabled or pregnant.
  5. Only people who live in Illinois can get benefits in Illinois.
  6. To qualify for benefits, Illinois residents must be citizens of the United States (U.S.) or one of the following:
     • People with qualified immigrant status, including residents who have lived in the U.S. for 5 years or more may qualify for benefits,
     • People with qualified immigrant status including refugees and asylees may qualify for benefits as qualified immigrants even if they have not lived in the U.S. for 5 years.
       • Children and pregnant women who are not U.S. citizens and who do not have a qualifying immigration status or are undocumented may still qualify for health care coverage (Medicaid or All Kids).
       • Noncitizen adults who do not meet immigration requirements but who have a serious medical condition may qualify for emergency medical benefits.

Therefore, I suggest you call You can call the DHS help Line at (800) 843-6154.

@CarrieH

[CarrieH]

Can't seem to get in contact with anyone at my local or state department. I'll keep trying, thanks!

[rockbowman1]

Can I deduct monthly apartment rental expenses for adult disabled child? 

[ToddL99]

No, personal housing costs are not deductible on your tax return.

If you are paying the rent for an adult disabled child, then that cost is part of your support for the child. It provides part of the justification for you claiming the child as a dependent, but is not deductible on your return.

@rockbowman1

[maglib]

Is it purely medical reasons and a specialized facility where he gets care? 

Or if the child is in the home as you are working and considered specialized care where he has specialists assisting him?  

normally group homes have in their plans the portion considered medical 

 

medical is only deductible, if you itemize and exceeds the % threshold. 

[jmollema]

we are claiming our 102 year old mother as a dependent, do we have to claim her social security payments as income?

[VolvoGirl]

No.  You don't enter her income on your return.  Did she have any other income?  Retirement or annuities, etc.

[ccandbb1988]

So who can help me with this? The taxpayer is a Caregiver for a disabled client (not related to each other). The disabled client lives in her household and gets disability income from SSI. Caregiver is a W-2 employee and pays more than half the disabled clients total support, I am under the impression that the disabled client qualifies as a qualifying relative and as her dependent. Can taxpayer get the $500.00 credit for other dependents and if so, how do you enter it into turbo tax? I have tried every way I can think of, but have not been successful. Can someone run me through the steps, I am not high tech when it comes to computers, so is there a how to input in turbo tax for dummies? I have the home & business edition. Disabled client saves most of his money for when his caregiver can no longer take care of him. He pays a small amount of rent and buys some food. There are 6 people in the household, in which the caregiver pays the majority of rent, utilities, food and other items. 

[Hal_Al]

You should create a new post to get more eyes on your question. Tagging on to a long old post with even a slightly changed subject will get limited views.

Q.  Can taxpayer get the $500.00 credit for other dependents?

A. Yes, if you meet the rules.

Q. How do you enter it into turbo tax? 

A. In the personal info/you and your family section , you enter the dependent's info and answer the follow up questions. For relationship, select  "someone else I support", then "other".  The follow up questions are for the rules below. 

Here are the rules for claiming an unrelated dependent. 

A person can still be a Qualifying relative dependent, if not a Qualifying Child, if he meets the 6 tests for claiming a dependent:

1. Closely Related OR live with the taxpayer ALL year
2. His/her gross taxable income for the year must be less than $5200 (2025)($5050 for 2024).
3. The taxpayer must have provided more than 1/2 his support

In either case:

4. He must be a US citizen or resident of the US, Canada or Mexico
5. He must not file a joint return with his spouse or be claiming a dependent of his own
6. He must not be the qualifying child of another taxpayer

He must have a US social security number or tax identification number (TIN)

Nontaxable Social security (and SSI payments) doesn't count as income, for the income test, but social security and SSI money he/she spends on her self does count as support not provided by you, for the support test. Money she puts into savings & investment does not count as support she spent on herself. 

The IRS has a worksheet that can be used to help with the support calculation. See: http://apps.irs.gov/app/vita/content/globalmedia/teacher/worksheet_for_determining_support_4012.pdf The support value of a home is the fair market rental value plus utilities, divided by the number of occupants.

You say the person is your "client". Any money you are paid, to be his/her caretaker, is considered support not provided by you, for the support test.  

@ccandbb1988