Disability is a condition that stops the flow of income. In that case, parents can’t continue to support the family and children as well. Parents are the wage earner and they maintain family when they are able to earn. The reality may be hard to accept because it can’t be guaranteed that we can be fit always to earn.
There is an option to get social security benefits for a child for a disabled parent. There are some criteria to get these social security benefits. These criteria define the eligibility of getting social security benefits for the children. This benefit can be based on the percentage of money that you get.
The Qualifying Child
Parents are the wage earner, and they are the sole responsible person to take care of the child. When parents die, children will get a social security benefit. The qualifying child may vary based on a biological child, adopted child and stepchild can be eligible for the social security disability benefit. Additionally, there are some criteria to get the social security benefit for the child of disabled parents. These criteria includes-
- You have a parent who is certified as disabled or on retirement and you are eligible for social security benefit.
- You are unmarried.
- You are 18 years old and 19 years old when you have full-time school and need financial support.
- You are also disabled and 18 years old when the disability began before the people turned age 22.
How Do You Apply For Benefits For Your Child?
Applying for social security benefits is very simple. You can apply for this benefit for your child so easily. The first condition is that you need to have a social security number.Your child needs to have a social security number and a valid birth certificate. If there is no social security number for your children, you must collect it. This social security number is strongly required to submit social security administration. However, you must manage this number when you are going to apply for the benefit.
In the case of a student who is over 18 years old, you need to submit supporting documentation to prove that he is an enrolled student. However, the benefit for the full-time student is also available.
More importantly, there are more documents that may be required according to different circumstances. After submitting these documents, you may be asked to submit more documents if the social security administration thinks as necessary.
How Much Will Your Child Receive in Benefits?
When your children’s application is approved by the social security administration, it is important to know how much will your child receive in benefits? It totally depends on the amount or SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) that the eligible disabled worker gets. Generally, this amount equals half the percentage of the benefit entitled for the parents. This percentage may also increase up to 50% in case the parent is deceased. In that case, the child will get up to 75% based on the parent’s basic benefit.
More importantly, this benefit can be maximum from 150% to 180% as the family limit awarded to the disabled worker. If the benefit amount crosses the maximum amount to meet the full family’s benefit, the benefit amount will be reduced proportionally.
For example, Tracy is a single mother who has 4 dependent children. Her 4 children would get 50% of the benefit that Tracy would get. Then the total benefit stands in 300% to be paid by the social security administration. In this case, the percentage would be reduced equally to match the maximum benefits amount.
Here we go another example, you are a single mother with an independent child. You get your retirement amount $2, 000 and the family maximum amount is $3,000. Her husband and her dependent child will get the remaining amount $ 1,000 equally which will be split into $500. In case her husband has no more, her son will get the remaining total amount.
Disabled Adult Child’s Benefit
In some cases, your child may be disabled. Your child is also entitled to get benefits. The social security administration will help you to get this benefit. They have a fact sheet and starter packet to make sure you can submit in a proper way. This is a type of guide that includes signing up, answering some questions and submitting required documents.
The benefit of the disabled child may not continue at a stage when your child is getting round from disability. The social security administration will send the benefit as you are getting treatment for your disabled child. When your child will come round or is disabled no more, then the benefit will stop at 16 years old.
But it is clear to note that as long as your child is getting treatment no matter how old he/she, disability benefit will be paid to the caretaker continuously. However, you as parents or caretakers have the responsibility to do related works in line with the social security administration. In addition, you need to connect with the social security administration in a timely manner.
Maximum Family Amount
The disabled worker can get the maximum family amount of benefit after following some criteria. The maximum family amount may be different based on a different case. This generally becomes from 150% to 180% from the amount that the disabled individual gets.
There are also some rules set by the social security administration to calculate the maximum family amount.
The highest maximum family amount can be 85% according to the disabled family member’s average indeed earnings on a monthly basis. It may be found from the body of the social security administration.
The disabled family member’s primary insurance amount will be lower than the maximum family benefit. But the maximum family benefit will not be over 150% of the disabled family members. However, some may think that it is contradictory but one can think it in this way-the maximum family amount will be the smallest of the 85% from the disabled family members. Or 150% will be of the disabled family member’s primary insurance amount.
If I Die Will My Child Continue To Receive Dependent Benefits?
This is a common question for people who are getting disability benefit. Surely it is possible to get disability benefit if the disabled person dies. This is called the survivorship benefit.
When a parent dies, the child is eligible to get the survivorship or dependent benefits. These benefits are for those who have natural children, adopted children or stepchildren. However, there are some criteria to receive dependent benefits after the death of the parents.
Unmarried:
The child will get the benefit when he/she is unmarried. This is one of the important criteria. The parents die and it is the welfare part to support the child when they are unmarried. Getting married means that the adult child is able enough to support family spending. In that case, the condition of the unmarried situation is highly considered.
Below 18 Years old
When the parent is disabled, the child gets up to 50%. After the death of the parent, this percentage goes up to 75%. This benefit will continue until the last month of the 18th birthday of the child.
Adult child
An adult child who is 18 years old or older can get the social security survivor benefits in the below two criteria
The child is under 19 years old and a student in full time who is also studying in a secondary school. The main fact here is to prove with the documents that clarify that the child is still in study and needs financial support.
Another issue is the child is disabled until you are at 22 years old. The disabled child has no bindings of the timeframe. They will receive the benefits as long as they have a disability. However, the benefit amount is the same as the child below 18 years old who will get up to 75% of the deceased parent’s Social Security Disability Insurance benefit.
Grandchildren
As a grandchild, it is also possible to get the social security benefit after the death of the grandparent. To get that, there are some following requirements that should be followed.
- There is no financial support for you as a contribution with after the death of the biological parents.
- You are a child who was living with your grandparent before reaching 18 years old. Your grandparent at least supported you for the past 12 months financially after the death of your grandparents.
- The babies are entitled to get the same benefit as that. The baby has to live with the grandparents, and the grandparent has provided at least half of the infant’s support.
The grandchildren relate to their grandparents. When the grandparent dies, the grandchildren will get the social security benefit amounted 75% according to the grandparent’s social security disability insurance benefit. But the payment may continue until the ending month of the 18 years old. However, the grandparents should adopt their grandchildren, then the above requirements can be fulfilled.
Final Outline
Social security benefit plays an important role in the life of children. This welfare program makes the life of the child reach the right direction. The parents were disabled and they would get the social security benefit. When they die, it is possible to get the benefit according to different terms and conditions set by the Social Security Administration. This benefit highly supports the child to continue their education and to be a good human being. So a child according to the rules of the qualifying benefit can get the benefit as the percentage of the benefit that their parents would get.