ELIGIBLE CHILDREN CAN DRAW FROM YOUR DISABILITY BENEFITS
Children whose parents, or in some cases, grandparents and stepparents, receives Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits can be eligible for what is called auxiliary benefits. Auxiliary benefits are cash payments from your record paid to any dependents under the age of 18. Additionally, a student age 18-19 may be eligible and disabled adult children of a disabled worker can receive auxiliary benefits.
The child of a parent is eligible to receive benefits if they are a dependent or a natural or legally adopted child who has not been adopted by someone else or receives contributions or lives with the worker at the time of disability. The child is considered dependent on a stepparent if the stepparent is contributing at least one-half of the child’s support at the time of the claim. A child is considered a dependent of the grandparent if the child lives with them before age 18 years of age and received at least one-half of the support from the grandparent at least a year before the grandparent became entitled to benefits.
Additionally, you must have paid in enough funds for auxiliary benefits to be paid. Some workers are eligible for Disability Insurance Benefits but have not paid in enough for auxiliary benefits as all the eligible payments on their record are paid to them directly. You can request a benefits statement from the Social Security Administration to see what you and your dependents would be eligible to receive should you become disabled. You can also go to www.ssa.gov/myaccount and review your benefits online.
If you have a claim for disability and have dependents relying on you to provide their support, the Social Security process can be frustrating. Knowing benefits may be coming for not just you, but your dependents should you win your case can help ease the frustration of time, but you do not want to leave your case to chance. Please call one of the experienced disability representatives at Gardberg & Kemmerly, P.C. at 251-343-1111 for a free consultation. Gardberg & Kemmerly specializes in helping the injured and disabled in Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, and Louisiana.