Arizona Disability Benefits Checklist

Age 14–15: Early Transition Planning

The IEP team is required to begin transition-oriented planning at age 14 in Arizona. This is when you lay the groundwork for everything that follows:

• Request Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) through DES Rehabilitation Services Administration. Submit the Pre-ETS Request Form to the DES RSA Transition mailbox. This opens access to job exploration counseling, work-based learning, post-secondary counseling, workplace readiness training, and self-advocacy instruction.
• Submit Form RSA-1298A (Vocational Rehabilitation Referral Form) to start the VR intake process.
• Compile diagnostic records — psychoeducational evaluations, therapy notes, medical specialist reports. These become the foundation of every adult benefit application, so organizing them now prevents a scramble later.

Age 16: Transition IEP Goals

By the student's 16th birthday, the IEP must include formal Measurable Postsecondary Goals (MPGs) and a multi-year course of study linking academic classes to employment or post-secondary goals.

• Enroll in Transition School to Work (TSW) if the school district has a contract with DES RSA. The student becomes an active VR client with access to community-based job shadowing, travel training, and workplace accommodation practice.
• Conduct age-appropriate transition assessments — career interest inventories, situational work evaluations, and independent living skills assessments. These results inform both the IEP goals and the future VR Individualized Plan for Employment.
• Update the IEP with transition goals covering employment, post-secondary education, and independent living.

Age 17–17.5: Legal and Financial Preparation

This is the critical six-to-twelve-month window before the 18th birthday when legal authority must be established:

• Assess decision-making capacity. If the youth can participate in decisions with support, prepare a Supported Decision-Making Agreement (DES Form DDD-2279A). If they cannot make choices even with support, begin the guardianship petition process through the county Superior Court.
• Execute a Healthcare Power of Attorney and Financial Power of Attorney if the youth has sufficient capacity.
• Request the IEP Transfer of Educational Rights notice — the school must provide written notice to both the student and parents at least one year before the student turns 18.
• Open an AZ ABLE account at az-able.com with a minimum $25 deposit. Begin routing personal savings, cash gifts, and any inheritance into this account to keep direct bank balances below the $2,000 SSI asset limit. The 2026 annual contribution limit is $20,000.
• Gather five years of bank statements — ALTCS requires a financial lookback during the application process.

Age 18: The Triple Redetermination

Three separate evaluations converge on the 18th birthday:

SSI Age-18 Redetermination

• Watch for the SSA redetermination notice (typically arrives within 12 months of turning 18)
• Complete Form SSA-3368-BK (Disability Report - Adult) with all medical sources, diagnoses, medications, and functional limitations from the past 12 months
• Submit Form SSA-827 (Authorization for Source to Release Information)
• If denied: file for reconsideration within 10 calendar days to maintain benefits during the appeal

DDD Age-18 Redetermination

• Submit Form DDD-2114A (Application for Redetermination of Eligibility at Age 18) to the assigned support coordinator
• Confirm that the qualifying diagnosis (Autism, CP, Epilepsy, Cognitive Disability, or Down Syndrome) is documented as having onset before age 18
• Ensure the application is signed by the adult individual or their legal representative

ALTCS Application

• Apply through the Health-e-Arizona Plus portal (healthearizonaplus.gov)
• The Pre-Admission Screening (PAS) must score 40+ points on the DD pathway
• Financial requirements: countable resources not more than $2,000, gross monthly income not more than $2,982 (if over, a Miller Trust is required)
• Parental income is NOT counted for an adult child over 18

Representative Payee Setup

• If the adult is unable to manage their own SSI funds, complete Form SSA-11 at the local SSA field office
• Open a dedicated "For Benefit Of" bank account for SSI deposits
• Parents living in the same household are exempt from the annual Representative Payee Report (Form SSA-6234) under the Strengthening Protections for Social Security Beneficiaries Act of 2018

Age 18–22: Adult Service Enrollment

DDD Health Plan Selection — Within 30 days of ALTCS approval, choose between Mercy Care and UnitedHealthcare Community Plan. Evaluate whether the Coordinated Plan or Direct Plan model fits your family's coordination preferences.

Person-Centered Service Plan (PCSP) — Meet with the assigned support coordinator to draft the plan, which authorizes specific service hours for habilitation, attendant care, respite, and other supports.

Summary of Performance (SOP) — The high school must complete this document in the final year, transferring clinical testing summaries, accommodations, and assistive technology recommendations to adult service providers.

Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE) — Work with the adult VR counselor to build the employment plan, securing job coaching, supported employment, or customized employment placements.

PPCG Enrollment — If the parent will serve as a paid caregiver, ask DDD or the health plan about the current parent-caregiver training, fingerprint-clearance, provider-registration, and EVV-onboarding requirements.

For the complete sequence with deadline tracking worksheets, form references, and agency contact information, the Arizona SSI at 18 & Adult Disability Benefits Guide consolidates everything into a single planning system.

See more Arizona guides →