Written By: Gayle Gonzalez Conner
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) provides essential financial support for individuals who can no longer work due to a serious illness or injury. What many people don’t realize is that their children may also qualify for benefits under this program. Providing benefits to children in these homes encourages them to continue with their education, instead of feeling pressured to obtain paid employment to help support the family.
In certain situations, the child of a parent receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits may also be eligible for auxiliary or dependent benefits. Children of SSDI recipients are often referred to as auxiliary beneficiaries, while the benefits they receive are known as auxiliary benefits. These benefits are funded by the taxes their parent or guardian paid while working.
Who Can Receive Child’s Benefits?
A child must meet several types of qualifications to be eligible for SSDI benefits. For a child to be eligible for dependents benefits based on your Social Security record, the dependent child must be related to you in one of the following ways:
- biological child
- adopted child
- stepchild
- grandchild (if you have legal custody and there is no living parent), or
- step grandchild (if you have adopted the child and there is no living parent).
To get benefits, a child must have either:
- A parent who is retired or has a disability and is entitled to Social Security benefits, or
- A parent who died after having worked long enough in a job where they paid Social Security taxes.
To receive benefits, the child must be unmarried and:
- Younger than age 18.
- Between ages 18 and 19 and a full-time student at an elementary or secondary school (grade 12 or below.
- Age 18 or older with a disability that began before age 22.
How Much Do Children Receive in Benefits?
Eligible children may receive up to 50% of their parent or guardian’s full SSDI benefit. However, when multiple dependents are involved, the total amount payable to the family is capped—typically between 150% and 180% of the full benefit. If the combined benefits exceed this limit, each child’s payment is adjusted proportionally to stay within the maximum allowed.
How Long Can a Child of Disabled Parents Receive Disability Benefits?
A child of a disabled parent receivingSSDI can receive benefits for a limited time, depending on their age, student status, and disability status. Generally, children of disabled parents can continue to receive SSDI benefits until the month before their 18th birthday. If the child is still in high school, benefits can continue until graduation or until two months after turning 19, whichever comes first. With children who have disabilities, benefits will continue beyond 18 years as long as the disability begins before age 22 and they continue to remain unmarried, with limited exceptions for marriages to other disabled individuals.
What Happens When Your Child Turns Age 18
In most cases, once a child turns 18, the right to receive Social Security as a dependent of the entitled parent ends. Those benefits can continue, however, until the student graduates or reaches age 19, whichever occurs first if the child is still in high school. Benefits may persist into adulthood for children who are disabled. The SSA will predetermine the child’s condition to see whether they meet its adult criteria for disability benefits. In such a case, the child can become eligible to receive SSDI benefits on their record.
How to File a Dependents Benefits Claim for Children of Disabled Parents
Gather Required Documents
- Child’s birth certificate or adoption papers
- Social Security numbers (yours and your child’s)
- Marriage certificate (if applying for stepchild benefits)
- School enrollment verification (if child is a student)
- Medical records (if child is disabled)
Child Claims and Supplemental Security Income
Unlike SSDI, the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program does not offer auxiliary or dependent benefits. That means:
- A child cannot receive SSI just because their parent is disabled and receiving SSI.
- Each person must qualify individually based on disability and financial need
For your child to qualify, they would have to meet Social Security’s definition of disability for children. In other words, your child’s disability must seriously limit their activities and last, or be expected to last, at least a year or result in death. If your child meets Social Security’s definition of disability for children and your household has limited income and resources, they may qualify for monthly SSI payment.
The Difference between SSDI and SSI
SSDI benefits are for those who have worked and can no longer work at any job due to a medical condition. The amount of money you will receive from SSDI benefits is based on the Social Security taxes you paid while working. To qualify for SSDI, you must have worked enough years to qualify and paid Social Security taxes during the years you worked. You can earn up to 4 work credits per year, as there are 4 quarters in a year. The amount of work credits you need depends on how old you are when you apply. If you haven’t earned enough work credits for your age at the time you apply, then you can only file and application for Supplemental Security Income benefits.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
SSI is a needs based program for those people who have limited income and resources (typically less than $2,000 for individuals or $3,000 for couples). Resources, for the purposes of SSI, are things you own such as:
- cash;
- bank accounts;
- stocks, mutual funds, and U.S. savings bonds;
- land;
- vehicles;
- personal property;
- life insurance; and
- anything else you own that could be converted to cash and used for food or shelter.
SSDI vs SSI Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | SSDI | SSI |
| Purpose | Provides benefits to disabled individuals who have worked and paid Social Security taxes | Provides financial assistance to disabled, blind, or elderly individuals with limited income and resources |
| Eligibility | Based on work history and Social Security tax contributions | Based on financial need, regardless of work history |
| Funding Source | Social Security trust fund (payroll taxes) | General tax revenues |
| Income Limits | No income/resource limits, but must not earn above Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) | Strict income and resource limits apply |
| Medical Criteria | Must meet SSA’s definition of disability | Same medical criteria as SSDI for disability |
| Benefit Amount | Based on your average lifetime earnings | Set federal amount (may vary by state) |
| Health Coverage | Eligible for Medicare after 24 months on SSDI | Eligible for Medicaid immediately |
| Dependent Benefits | Yes – children and spouses may qualify | No – benefits are only for the individual applicant |
Do You Need Help Accessing Your Social Security Disability Benefits?
Although qualifying children are unlikely to be denied benefits, working with an experienced Social Security disability attorney can increase your chances of being approved for SSDI in a timely fashion. At LaBovick Law Group, we are committed to helping you secure the social security disability benefits you deserve.
