What Are Social Security Survivors Benefits for Children?

When you or your spouse passes away, your children may be eligible for Survivors Benefits, just as you or your spouse may be eligible for Widow’s Benefits – the subject of my previous blog post.

Survivor's Benefits

Survivors Benefits overall are a monthly monetary stipend based on what you or your spouse has paid into the Social Security Administration (SSA) system.  It is a component of that Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) deduction on your paycheck.

Survivor's Benefits for Children

As stated above, it is composed of benefits widowers and your children may be eligible for.

Note while I keep referring to your “children,” the fact is it is possible that beneficiaries under the program do not necessarily have to be related by blood, e.g. step and adopted children may qualify for benefits as well.

Currently, in order to qualify for Survivors Benefits, the deceased’s children must be unmarried and under the age of 18, or sometimes 19 if they are still in school under certain circumstances.

The deceased’s children of any age may be able to draw Survivors Benefits if they were disabled before the age of 22 and continue to be so.

For those that are interested, the SSA has a website that details exactly how much dependents may draw if eligible.

If you or your child have been denied SSA disability benefits or suffer from a severe impairment that is expected to last more than twelve months and that prevents you from doing any of your past or other work or is causing developmental delay in your child, please contact our office nearest to you to set up a free consultation appointment to discuss your situation.