TRR SSD Family Members Eligibility for my SSD

Video Transcript

Krystal: So, Claudia, our clients always ask whether their family members are eligible for benefits. Are they?

Claudia: Some of their family members may be eligible for benefits.

Krystal: And what family members are those?

Claudia: It would be children or spouses.

Krystal: Okay. And how are children beneficiaries?

Claudia: Children could receive benefits if they’re not married, they’re under the age of 18, or they’re up to age of 19 but still in high school, or they are disabled and became disabled prior to age 22.

Krystal: Does it have to be biological children?

Claudia: No, it does not. So adopted children are also eligible and actually even stepchildren are eligible if they’re the claimant’s dependents.

Krystal: Claudia, how are spouses eligible to receive benefits?

Claudia: A spouse is eligible if he or she is at least 62 years old or if he or she is the caretaker of a child under the age of 16.

Krystal: Do divorce spouses also receive benefits?

Claudia: Some divorce spouses may also be eligible for benefits if they had been married to the claimant for at least 10 years and they are at least 62 years old.

Krystal: Do the benefits given to the divorced spouse, does that take away from the newly married spouse?

Claudia: No, the ex-spouse’s benefits would not affect the current spouse’s benefits.

Krystal: And how much is the family members benefits? How is that calculated?

Claudia: So the maximum benefits that could be payable to the claimant’s family members is 50% of the claimant’s benefits. So depending, if that’s only one family member, that would be the full 50%. If there’s more than one family member, the 50% is simply divided by the number of family members eligible.