Qualifying children

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on

I have children and their father has recently went for a hearing is waiting on a decision. I was told that the kids will qualify for benefits. I have several questions.
How is the amount determined?
What are the rules for the cutoff age to recieve benefits?
Do the children recieve back pay as well?
What steps if any do I need to take to set up their case?
If a child is 18 but still in high school do they qualify, and for how long?

Mr. Harris (not verified)

In reply to by Mike (not verified)

Fri, 10/20/2017 - 17:55 Permalink

I was awarded full custody of my 10 yo son and didnt know that he was recieving benefits until today (i got him full time at the end of April 17). According to the lady at the ssa office they stopped his payments in May? Why would they stop his payments as soon as he started living with me without contacting me? She says I have to apply to be payee representative ... Do they owe my son back money from May to present day? Whats next and how long will this process take?

Bryan

In reply to by Mr. Harris (not verified)

Mon, 10/23/2017 - 16:59 Permalink

Hi Mr. Harris,
While your son may be eligible for benefits based on his condition, the SSA also takes financial eligibility into account. They assign a portion of household income to the child to determine if their income and assets qualify them for benefits, when your son entered your household he may have become financially ineligible for income-based benefits.

Anonymous (not verified)
Thu, 11/05/2015 - 12:24 Permalink

I have been on Social Security Disability for 10 years I will turn 66 in Nov. I just recently received custody of my 11 year old granddaughter, can I apply for benifits for her under my social security benefits?

Igg (not verified)
Thu, 11/05/2015 - 12:25 Permalink

Hi, your granddaughter can receive benefits under your Social Security Disability if she meets ALL of the following:
her biological parents are deceased or disabled
you provide her with regular support
she has lived with you for the 12 months before becoming eligible for SSDI
you provide at least 50% of her financial support
If you'd like to speak to an attorney about your specific case, feel free to fill out our Free Disability Evaluation.

Becky (not verified)
Thu, 11/05/2015 - 12:26 Permalink

We have been raising a grandchild since she was born. I am on SSDI and we have recently granted temporary guardianship for her. Can I receive benefits for her or do we need to proceed with adoption which is very costly to us. I there any advice for us? We have never gotten any child support for her.

Molly C (not verified)
Thu, 11/05/2015 - 12:26 Permalink

Becky,
This is a great question! In some cases, children can receive benefits on his or her grandparents' earnings. Here is what the SSA says:
Your child can get benefits if he or she is your biological child, adopted child or dependent stepchild. (In some cases, your child also could be eligible for benefits on his or her grandparents’ earnings.)
To get benefits, a child must have:
A parent(s) who is disabled or retired and entitled to Social Security benefits; or
A parent who died after having worked long enough in a job where he or she paid Social Security taxes.
The child also must be:
Unmarried;
Younger than age 18;
18-19 years old and a full-time student (no higher than grade 12); or
18 or older and disabled. (The disability must have started before age 22.)
Hope this answers your questions!

Anonymous (not verified)
Thu, 11/05/2015 - 12:28 Permalink

we adopted OUR gr kids, they get MY SSI, and medicaid... adoption doesn't have to be costly.. in OHIO we get reimbursed for ours.. It takes them off of the foster status and money, and if everyone is in agreement if they aren't foster kids.. you just have to go to the courthouse, fill out a form to go to court and GO! a lawyer if you want one but shop around,,, if there is no contest.. should be cheap and straightforward..

Ann (not verified)
Thu, 11/05/2015 - 12:28 Permalink

My son has brain seizures . That cause a learning disability he is in 1st grade and I have a tutor for him this is very costly . He is currently getting a small amont from his fathers death . Does he quilify to receive addional benefits to help him over come this ?and how do I apply ?

Molly C (not verified)
Thu, 11/05/2015 - 12:28 Permalink

Hi Ann, Your son may qualify for SSI. To qualify your child must have a condition that severely limits his activities and the condition must be expected to last for at least a year or result in death. The second thing that the Social Security Administration will look at is your income. SSI is a needs based program. This means that you must have little to no income and resources to qualify. If you think you and your son meet both requirements, visit the SSA's website. You can read more about the requirements and apply if you think the program is a good match. SSI Program

Molly C (not verified)
Thu, 11/05/2015 - 12:30 Permalink

Valerie, That's a good question. Typically, disabled children receive disability benefits from the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program because they don't have the work history to qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). SSI is a needs based program, this means that in order to qualify, your income and financial resources cannot exceed a set amount. Depending on your specific circumstances, your income and assets will be deemed to your child when she is evaluated for disability benefits. I would contact a legal professional or a Social Security representative to help you begin the application process-- you will be able to give them more specific information and they'll have a better idea whether or not your daughter qualifies.

Wendy (not verified)
Thu, 11/05/2015 - 12:30 Permalink

when a child receiving benefits under their disabled fathers benefits, becomes pregnant and moves in with boyfriend and his parents ,does she keep her benefits til she 18 or lose them?

Heather (not verified)

In reply to by Wendy (not verified)

Sat, 07/08/2017 - 20:47 Permalink

I have a similar situation. My daughter will be 18 in one month. She is starting her senior year in high school but is planning to move out and move to another state. Just wandering if she will still recieve her disabled fathers social security check.

Eric

In reply to by Heather (not verified)

Mon, 07/10/2017 - 09:20 Permalink

Hi Heather,

If her father is approved for disability in the time before she turns 18 she could still receive benefits of her father's disability check. However once she turns 18 she will not be able to.

Best of Luck,
Eric

Molly C (not verified)
Thu, 11/05/2015 - 12:30 Permalink

Wendy, you will need to check with your local Social Security office. However, it is my understanding that, unless the daughter gets married, she will still receive disability benefits.

Susan (not verified)
Thu, 11/05/2015 - 12:31 Permalink

If there is a dependent child SSDI benefit overpayment, is the qualifying parent liable for the overpayment or is the dependent child liable for the benefit repayment at the age of 18? Thank you!

Molly C (not verified)
Thu, 11/05/2015 - 12:31 Permalink

Susan, from what I understand, the qualifying parent is the one responsible for repaying the overpayment. But to be sure, I would call the representative who handles your case and ask for more details. They'll be able to give you a more accurate answer knowing the specific details of your situation. Best of luck.

Tim (not verified)
Thu, 11/05/2015 - 12:31 Permalink

I have a couple of questions actually. I have custody of my oldest daughter since 2011 which she will be 18 in May and I am fixing to get custody of my youngest daughter now 15. My x-wife lost her job May of 2012 and applied for SSDI but she just got approved for it Feb 2013. When she got the letter stating that she was approved she had already found another job making around $50,000 per year. So the SS office tells my x-wife that my oldest daughter is approved for it benefits and she would be getting a lump sum for March of 2012-Feb 2013. My oldest will also receive a monthly income till she graduates high school which will be in 2014. I want to know how is this possible when she was living with me (I have court papers signed by the judge)? I am fixing to get custody of my youngest and she is supposed to be receiving a lump sum and monthly income. How is this possible when she will be living with me? I can understand the lump sum (which my daughter hasn't see a dime of) because she was living with her mom at that time, but why continue with payments? Also why would the SS office approve her when she found another job? She will have to pay me child support and wants all the benefits my girls are receiving to be taken out of child support she would have to pay me. I am ok with that, but is it a percentage of monthly payments, is payment considered before taxes or after taxes? When I called down to the SS office all he did was give me the run around.

Jules (not verified)

In reply to by Tim (not verified)

Wed, 03/08/2017 - 20:10 Permalink

I receive SSDI and when I received back pay my husband had just got custody of 1 child
The back pay for that child went to her father. Sounds similar to your situation. You should call and give them your situation, because if they didn't know you had custody, the money will go to the mother.

Bryan

In reply to by Jules (not verified)

Wed, 03/15/2017 - 10:54 Permalink

Hi Jules,
Thanks for sharing! It's true, the SSA may assign the custodial parent as the payee in many cases.

Molly C (not verified)
Thu, 11/05/2015 - 12:31 Permalink

Tim, I'm not really sure what you are asking. If your ex wife is earning $50,000 a year, chances are that she shouldn't be earning disability benefits. However, I don't know the specific circumstances surrounding her disability or work history so I can't say for certain. If the SSA determines that your wife is no longer qualified for disability benefits, they could be taken away. If your ex wife has not reported her change in income to the SSA, she could be committing fraud.
Your daughters' living arrangements don't have anything to do with disability benefits. If the are eligible for dependent's benefits, they do not need to be living with the eligible parent.

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