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SSDI Benefits for Children of Disabled Parents

SSDI Benefits for Children of Disabled Parents

A monthly cash benefit is also available for children of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries.

Your dependent kid may be eligible for Social Security payments if you are disabled and receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). The child need not have a disability to be eligible. But the kid needs to be:

  • - Single, aged 18 or under (or 19, and enrolled full-time in high school), and
  • - Financially reliant on you (the disabled parent).

The amount of your SSDI benefit directly affects the benefit your child will get. It's based on your "income record," specifically. This is how it goes.

How much SSDI your Child can get?

When you get SSDI, the amount of your benefit is determined by your "covered earnings"—income that was subject to Social Security taxes and has been increased over time (called your "Average Indexed Monthly Earnings" or AIME).

Up to 50% of the parent's monthly benefit may be received by a dependent kid who is receiving a benefit for children based on the parent's Social Security earnings history. As a result, the monthly SSDI compensation for your child will be larger the higher your AIME is (as the handicapped parent).

Let's take the example of a parent with a disability whose AIME was $3,000 per month. Your child may receive roughly $750 per month in SSDI benefits while you could receive around $1,500 monthly. You might have an AIME of $6,000 per month and get a disability payout for around $2,500 per month if you made twice as much money while working. If so, your child might be eligible for a benefit of almost $1,250 each month.

However, what if additional family members are receiving Social Security benefits based on your earnings history? (as the disabled person). In that instance, the SSA will apply its algorithm to lower your children's payments and will impose a family maximum threshold.

Survivor's Benefits for Minors

Survivor payments are available to dependent minor children whose parents died while receiving SSDI disability benefits or whose parents had accrued enough Social Security credits to be eligible for benefits at death. Up to the family limit, each dependent kid may get up to 75% of the parent's monthly benefit amount.

What about SSDI for Disabled Child Over Age 22?

If your child's impairment began before age 22, they may continue to receive dependent payments even after they become 18 (or older). Then, rather than using the disabled kid's own earnings record, which may not exist or may not have enough work credits, the benefits for your impaired child would be determined by your AIME.

If a parent passes away or begins receiving retirement or disability benefits, an adult with a handicap that manifested before age 22 may be qualified for benefits. Because it is paid on a parent's Social Security earnings record, we classify this as a "child's" benefit.

Some handicapped children are also eligible for SSI (Supplemental Security Income) benefits, which typically offer much less income than SSDI.

Get Help

Navigating through the process of social security is complicated and must not be left to non-professionals. If you or a loved one seeks to apply for ssdi for survivor's benefits, you can consult our expert disability attorneys here. 

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Friday, 29 March 2024