Are Poor Kids With Mental Disabilities Getting Too Much Government Aid Or Not Enough?

Published September 11, 2015 at 1:40 PM EDT

How much financial help does an impoverished child with autism need? What about a child who has bipolar disorder?

In the U.S., the answer depends on what state the family lives in. If they are in Pennsylvania, they are almost six times more likely to receive financial help from the federal government than if they live in Nevada.

That is one of the findings of a new report looking at Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for kids. SSI is the federal program administered by the Social Security Administration that provides monthly checks to poor people – young and old – with disabilities.

Dr. James M. Perrin, a member on the panel that did the study, joins Here & Now‘s Robin Young to examine the new report.

Guest

Dr. James M. Perrin, professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, former president of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He tweets @AAPPerrin.