When a parent receives Social Security retirement or disability benefits, or dies, their child may also receive benefits. Under certain circumstances, a stepchild, adopted child, or dependent grandchild or step-grandchild also may qualify. To receive benefits, the child must be unmarried and: Younger than age 18.
If you are a parent and take care of your child who receives Social Security benefits and is under age 18, you can get benefits until your child reaches age 16. Your child's benefit will continue until he or she reaches age 18, or 19 if he or she is still in school full time.
You can apply for benefits by calling our national toll-free service at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) or by visiting your local Social Security office.
When a parent dies, their Social Security benefits cease. An adult child can't inherit the benefits. Only adult children with disabilities can receive Social Security benefits after their parents die. The amount of the monthly benefit payment is based on the parent's contributions in the form of SSA taxes (OASDI).
The easiest time to apply for a Social Security number for your baby is at the hospital after they are born. Request one when you give the information for your child's birth certificate. If you do not want to request one in the hospital, begin an application for your child's Social Security number online.
SSI provides a monthly cash benefit to help meet basic living expenses. The amount of cash aid depends on the child's living situation and income. If the child lives in the same household as their parent(s), the parent's income and resources are used to determine the child's eligibil- ity and payment amount.
If the deceased was receiving Social Security benefits, a relative must return the benefit received for the month of death or any later months. For example, if the person dies in July, it must return the benefit paid in August. If benefits were paid by direct deposit, contact the bank or other financial institution.
Have you heard about the Social Security $16,728 yearly bonus? There's really no “bonus” that retirees can collect. The Social Security Administration (SSA) uses a specific formula based on your lifetime earnings to determine your benefit amount.
If you or your parents make too much money or have too many assets, you will not get SSI. The exact limits depend on the size of your family. For example, if you live with both your parents and you have no siblings, the earned income limit is usually $4,841 per month and the asset limit is $2,000.
But even if you never worked and therefore don't have an earnings record, you're not necessarily out of luck. If you're married (or were married) to someone who's entitled to Social Security, you can collect spousal benefits equal to 50% of your husband or wife's benefits at full retirement age.
If your spouse is not receiving any retirement benefits yet, then you could technically take your regular Social Security benefit as early as age 62. When your spouse files for their benefit later you could switch to spousal benefits.
Within a family, a child can receive up to half of the parent's full retirement or disability benefits. If a child receives survivors benefits, they can get up to 75% of the deceased parent's basic Social Security benefit.
You can start receiving your Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62. However, you are entitled to full benefits only when you reach your full retirement age. If you delay taking your benefits from your full retirement age up to age 70, your benefit amount will increase.
If you apply at the hospital, the state agency that issues birth certificates will share your child's information with us. Then, we will mail the Social Security card to you. If you wait to apply, there may be delays while we verify your child's birth certificate.
Ninety-five percent of never-beneficiaries are individuals whose earnings histories are insufficient to qualify for benefits. Late-arriving immigrants and infrequent workers comprise the vast majority of these insufficient earners.
If you contact the bank before consulting an attorney, you risk account freezes, which could severely delay auto-payments and direct deposits and most importantly mortgage payments. You should call Social Security right away to tell them about the death of your loved one.
SSI Benefits for Children
The child must have a physical or mental impairment (or impairments) that results in marked and severe functional limitations. The impairment or impairments must have lasted or be expected to last for a continuous period of at least 12 months or be expected to result in death.
When we figure out how much to deduct from your benefits, we count only the wages you make from your job or your net profit if you're self-employed. We include bonuses, commissions, and vacation pay.
If the value of your resources that we count is over the allowable limit at the beginning of the month, you cannot receive SSI for that month. If you decide to sell the excess resources for what they are worth, you may receive SSI beginning the month after you sell the excess resources.
Your child's SSI payment amount will vary depending on the state you live in and whether your child has any countable income, but the federal base rate for 2025 is $967 per month. (Read our article on how much SSI pays for more information.)
Under the law, a child is considered disabled for SSI purposes if: he or she has a medically determinable physical or mental impairment (or combination of impairments); and. the impairment(s) results in marked and severe functional limitations; and.