Can My Hearing Impaired Child Qualify for SSI Disability Benefits?

Hearing impairments in children can be present from birth (congenital) or can develop over time (acquired). For example, a hereditary ear abnormality known as microtia causes the external, visible part of the ear to be malformed, resulting in varying degrees of hearing loss. Acoustic neuromas can grow on the nerve connecting the ear to the brain, affecting hearing. Acquired hearing loss may also be the result of repeated infections, such as meningitis.

Children who have hearing loss that significantly interferes with their development and communication might be able to qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability benefits in one of two ways: by meeting one of Social Security’s listings for hearing loss or being functionally equivalent to the listings. Before you apply for childhood SSI, it’s helpful to become familiar with the basics of the SSI program so you can make the strongest case for your child.

When Is a Hearing Impairment Considered a Disability?

The Social Security Administration (SSA) evaluates hearing impairment in children based on several factors. Children with the most severe cases of hearing loss may be awarded benefits by meeting a listed impairment (a medical condition that the SSA has decided is serious enough to be automatically disabling), while children who don’t meet the listing requirements can still qualify if they have significant functional limitations in other areas compared with their peers.

How Hearing Loss is Measured

In order to understand the requirements for the hearing loss listings, it helps to know some of the technical terms used by Social Security to decide the degree of hearing loss.

• Otologic examinations look at the physical mechanisms of the ear, such as the tympanic membrane (eardrum), to detect any abnormalities or obstructions.
• Audiometric tests measure how well your brain perceives sound by stimulating the nerves in your ear (an air conduction hearing test) or vibrating the bones near your ear (a bone conduction hearing test).
• Decibels (dB) are units of measurement that describe how loud something is.
• Word recognition tests, also called speech discrimination tests, measure how well you understand speech at a comfortable listening level using simple words.
• Cochlear implants are devices that help improve hearing by sending signals through the auditory nerve to the brain.

You’ll need to provide the SSA with evidence of an otologic exam and an audiometric test taken within two months of each other to show that your child has been diagnosed with a hearing impairment.

Getting Disability by Meeting the Listings for Hearing Loss

The SSA has two listings for hearing loss, one for children with a cochlear implant and one for those without. If your child has so much difficulty hearing that they can’t recognize most of the words or sounds present during a hearing test, they’re likely to meet the relevant listing.

Hearing Loss Not Treated With Cochlear Implantation

Listing 102.10 covers children without cochlear implants. To meet this listing, the results of your child’s audiometric or word recognition tests must meet certain thresholds, depending on age.

Children younger than five years of age can only meet this listing if they have an average air conduction hearing threshold of 50 dB or greater in their better ear. But children ages five and older can meet this listing in additional ways, if they have the following results:

• an average air conduction test hearing threshold of 70 dB or greater in the better ear and an average bone conduction test hearing threshold of 40 dB or greater in the better ear, or
• a word recognition test score of 40% or less in the better ear, or
• an average air conduction test hearing threshold of 50 dB or greater in the better ear and a marked limitation in speech or language.

Hearing Loss Treated With Cochlear Implantation

Under listing 102.11, children with cochlear implants will automatically be considered disabled for one year after implantation or until they’ve reached age five (whichever is later).

Children older than five years old who’ve had a cochlear implant for longer than one year will be considered disabled if they have a word recognition score of 60% or less according to a specific type of test—the Hearing in Noise Test (HINT) or the Hearing in Noise Test for Children (HINT-C). These tests measure the ability to recognize speech in quiet and noisy environments.

Getting Disability by Functionally Equaling the Hearing Loss Listings

Having the exact test results required to meet the hearing loss listings can be a challenge. But the SSA can still find that your child is disabled if you can show that, as a result of their hearing loss, they have an “extreme” limitation in one area of functioning or “marked” limitations in two areas of functioning.

Social Security will consider any difficulties your child has in six areas of functioning (called domains) that the agency uses to cover a range of basic daily activities. These domains are:

• acquiring and using information
• attending and completing tasks
• interacting and relating to others
• moving about and manipulating objects
• caring for self, and
• health and physical well-being.

Deciding whether your child has “marked” or “extreme” limitations in these domains can be difficult because the terms aren’t very well defined. The SSA will rely on medical source statements from pediatricians, hearing specialists, and teachers to help determine the extent of your child’s limitations.

Is Microtia a Disability?

Not necessarily. Mild microtia resulting in a slightly misshapen outer ear with little difficulty hearing is unlikely to cause significant functional limitations. Very severe cases of microtia, however, may cause hearing loss that can be evaluated by the above metrics. Ask your child’s otolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat doctor) or audiologist for their assessment of your child’s microtia.

Expedited Disability Benefits for Deafness

Social Security may make immediate SSI payments to your child if they are totally deaf, and keep those payments going for up to six months while the state agency decides if your child meets the criteria for disability.

SSI Benefit Amounts for Children With Hearing Impairments

Children who qualify for SSI can receive up to the federal benefit rate—$994 per month, for 2026, the same as adults get—regardless of what their disabling impairment may be. This rate is set by the federal government and represents the maximum amount you can receive in SSI (save for a modest supplement payment in the states that provide them).

Calculating the exact amount of a child’s SSI benefit can be complicated, however, since the payment is reduced if the child’s family has any countable income. For more details, see our article on how parents’ income affects their children’s SSI benefits.

How to Apply for SSI for Your Child

You have a couple of options to apply for SSI disability benefits for your child. You can call Social Security at 800-772-1213 (TTY 800-325-0778) to make an appointment to apply. At your appointment, a Social Security representative will help you with the paperwork.

You can also get your child’s disability application started online. Applying online is a two-step process. You must:

• complete an online child disability report (which should take about an hour), and
• accept a phone call from a Social Security representative to discuss the claim and complete the application for SSI (generally three to five business days after you submit the online report).

Social Security offers a starter kit with checklists and worksheets you can use to get ready to file your child’s SSI application. You aren’t required to get legal help simply to file the claim but you may want to find an attorney who can help you strengthen your child’s case and appeal a denial (if necessary).