The Basics

At 18, your child becomes an adult. Around the same time, there might be other life changes, such as high school graduation, a first job, or moving out of the family home.

As these happen, your child’s benefits might change:

• Supplemental Security Income (SSI) has different rules for children and adults.
• Your child can manage his or her own Medicaid benefits and medical care.
• Some benefits are only for children, so if your child gets them now, he or she will stop getting them as an adult.
• Other benefits are only for adults, so your child may start getting them.

This doesn’t mean your child will be worse off: after turning 18, your child may qualify for the same benefits as before and possibly more.