An Overview of Social Security Benefits for Family Members

January 10, 2013

An Overview of Social Security Benefits for Family Members

When a person qualifies for Social Security benefits, other members of his or her family may be eligible to receive benefits as well. Social Security benefits help provide for workers' children and other family members when they no longer have access to the income the worker provided.

Family members who may be eligible to receive Social Security benefits through a relative's work history record include the worker's spouse, ex-spouse, children, grandchildren and sometimes even parents.

Children and Grandchildren

Children can collect up to 50 percent of a parent's benefit amount if the parent is living and eligible for Social Security benefits due to retirement or disability. When a parent is deceased but would qualify for Social Security benefits if he or she was alive, a surviving child may collect up to 75 percent of the parent's benefit amount.

To qualify for Social Security benefits through a parent, a child generally must be unmarried and under the age of 18. However, surviving children aged 18 and 19 may receive benefits if they are full-time students in grade 12 or below. In addition, disabled children age 18 and older may continue to receive benefits if they became disabled before reaching age 22.

All children are eligible for Social Security benefits through their parents, regardless of whether they are the biological children, adopted children or stepchildren of the qualifying worker. In addition, grandchildren may qualify for benefits if they are dependents of a deceased, disabled or retired worker.

Spouses and Ex-Spouses

The spouse of a living person who qualifies for Social Security benefits may be eligible to receive a spousal benefit of up to 50 percent of the qualifying individual's benefit amount. To be eligible, the spouse must be at least age 62 or caring for the worker's qualifying child. A qualifying child is a child who is under age 16 or who is disabled and receiving Social Security benefits.

A widow or widower may receive survivor benefits based on a deceased spouse's earnings record. The surviving spouse of a worker who qualified for Social Security can receive full benefits once they reach full retirement age, or may receive a reduced benefit as early as age 60. A disabled surviving spouse may receive benefits as early as age 50 if he or she became disabled prior to the qualifying worker's death or within seven years afterward.

An ex-spouse of a qualifying individual may also be eligible for Social Security benefits if he or she is age 62 or older, unmarried and not currently eligible for a higher benefit amount on his or her own. To qualify for benefits as an ex-spouse, the marriage must have lasted for 10 years or more.

Parents

Parents over the age of 62 who are dependent on an adult child for more than half their support may also qualify for Social Security benefits if the adult child dies and would otherwise be eligible for benefits. An individual dependent parent may receive up to 87.5 percent of the adult child's benefit amount. If both parents claim benefits through the deceased adult child, they each may collect up to 75 percent of his or her benefit amount.

Consult an Attorney

This article provides a brief introduction to the complex topic of Social Security benefits for family members. To learn more about the benefits available to family members and find out if you or a loved one may be eligible, contact an experienced Social Security lawyer in your area.

Article provided by Greg Jones Law
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