Anonymous wrote:I commend you for being a caring, well-organized parent. He's lucky to have you!

+1

Many decades ago I did social security disability appeals. I had a client with schizophrenia who presented well and seemed employable. I won his case by asking him on examination a number of pointed questions that essentially made clear he could not hold a job for any real duration — in his case he would become paranoid, and it would lead to issues in the workplace. So with a good advocate social security disability may be an option

I agree with others that you can employ him in the way you suggested and just be a more forgiving employer. If he’s an independent contractor, he won’t get workers comp or unemployment insurance. I don’t know where you’re located but if anyone ever looked at it, my guess is the independent contractor status would not hold up. But if he never gets audited and he never files for UI or WC, odds are no one will look at it. With our nanny, we treated her as a W2 employee.

Anonymous wrote:OP here--thanks for the replies.

It looks like I need to carefully consider hiring him as an employee or as a contractor.

+1
Also, the suggestions to get his CNA certificate from the community college is good. You do not want him to not get SS or other benefits because he does not cross a threshold on paper.

My suggestion is to get other professional certifications and skills (CPR, nutrition, hygiene, time management, cooking, cleaning, laundry, exercise, therapeutic massage, financial management...) for him so that he continues to be well trained so he can help clients and himself.

As an employer you pay your half of social security and medicare tax by withholding and he pays his when he files taxes or you have that done for him.
As a contractor he pays all of it and should file estimated quarterly taxes to avoid a penalty. You figure those based on earnings.
Either requires him to do something taxwise. Get an accountant to explain choices.

Sure, but you may want to apply for social security disability for him.

I commend you for being a caring, well-organized parent. He's lucky to have you!

OP here--thanks for the replies.

It looks like I need to carefully consider hiring him as an employee or as a contractor.

If he can't work, he should qualify for disability

Yes. Pay him as a contractor, give him a W-9, pay his taxes.

Yes it would be like hiring a nanny on the books.

Trump does

Sure.

Maybe have him take a CNA class at community college so that if at some point he is stable enough for outside employment he has a credential?

OP again: To be clear, I want him to qualify for Medicare when he hits 65 or whatever the eligible age is in the future, not earlier.

I don’t see why not, if that’s what you want to do.

Thinking ahead to after my death.

I have a 30 year old with a mental health condition that prevents him from working. However, he is not disabled enough to meet the social security definition. He has worked for only one year, and was fired from that job because of an incident caused by his condition. Almost needless to say, he has refused all mental health care.

I am not too concerned about him not receiving social security as I have saved enough to see him through his quite modest needs and wants for a lifetime, and his sister will take charge after I die. I currently pay for his medical insurance, but I would like for him to eventually qualify for Medicare. This requires 40 quarters of earned income.

Could I hire him, for example as a caretaker for my elderly father, paying social security as an employer with him paying his share from the wages I give him? Eventually I could pay him as a helper for myself. I am able to direct him and work around the times I know he cannot cope, but any regular employer would not be able to put up with it.

Any other ideas?