Social Security not only protects those retiring or living with a disability in the United States. It can also provide a monthly benefit to the children of workers who already get one of these benefits. In many cases, this is essential financial help for the welfare of the child and his or her immediate family, especially if there is a loss of income due to retirement, disability or death.
This type of help is available for biological, adopted and even stepchildren, as long as they meet certain conditions and the worker meets the contribution requirements. Although it is not as well-known a benefit as SSDI or retirement, every year thousands of families access it and rely on these payments to cover basic household, school or medical care expenses.
But getting the benefit doesn’t mean forgetting to follow up. The Social Security Administration (SSA) requires certain conditions to be met in order to keep the payment coming on a regular basis. That’s why it’s important to know the most relevant details, especially when your child is already getting the benefit.
What is the Social Security child’s benefit?
A child’s benefit is a monthly payment from Social Security to dependent children of people who are receiving retirement, SSDI, or are deceased. For a child to be eligible, he or she must be unmarried and under age 18, although in some cases the child can continue to get the help until age 19 if he or she is still in full-time high school.
In addition, if the child has a disability that began before age 22, he or she can continue to get the benefit even as an adult, as long as the disability prevents him or her from working and he or she has not married. In these cases, the SSA evaluates your medical situation and compares it to the criteria applicable to SSDI.
The amount paid for each child depends on the work history of the parent who gets or received the benefit. Although there is a family cap, the individual benefit for each child represents an important support to cover their basic needs.
Child’s Benefit conditions
If your child is already getting the Social Security benefit, there are several important aspects to keep in mind to avoid interruptions or problems with payments. One of the main ones is the obligation to notify any relevant change, such as a transfer, a change of school, the completion of studies or an improvement in health status in the case of a child with a disability.
In the case of children over the age of 18 who are still in school, it is essential to submit the school forms required by the SSA to verify that they continue to meet the conditions. If this documentation is not submitted on time, payment may be suspended until the information is confirmed. The same is true if there are doubts about the child’s marital status: getting married automatically voids eligibility for the benefit, except in cases of adult disability under certain exceptions.
It is also important to keep in mind that the money received must be used for the benefit of the child. In general, it is the parent or guardian who administers the funds, and if misuse is detected, the SSA can intervene to protect the child’s interest.
When does the child benefit payment stop?
The child benefit is not indefinite. In most cases, payment stops when the child turns 18, unless the child is still in high school full-time, in which case it may continue until age 19. When the child finishes school, marries or begins working and earns an amount considered substantial, entitlement to the benefit may also stop.
In cases of disability before age 22, the payment may continue into adulthood if it is shown that the medical condition is still present and significantly limits the ability to work. In that scenario, the beneficiary can continue to get the payment as a “disabled adult child,” but must comply with periodic medical checkups and not exceed certain monthly earnings.
To avoid unexpected interruptions, it is key to keep all information up to date with Social Security and to respond promptly to any requests or official letters. This ensures that the child,or young adult with a disability, continues to get the help without complications.
