Facing a disability can be an incredibly challenging time for you and your family. The financial stress that comes from the inability to earn an income, combined with mounting medical costs, can feel overwhelming. If you have a mental or physical condition that prevents you from working, you likely qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. In some instances, other family members may also be eligible for financial support from the Social Security Administration (SSA) through auxiliary benefits.
What Are Auxiliary Benefits?
Also called family benefits, SSDI auxiliary benefits are monthly payments made to your qualifying spouse or children based on your earnings record. Unlike survivor’s benefits, which are paid to family members after the death of the person who earned Social Security benefits, SSDI auxiliary benefits are available while the primary beneficiary is still alive and receiving disability or retirement benefits. Whether your family members qualify for benefits depends on the type of benefits you receive and their relationship to you. Auxiliary benefits are only available for families of recipients of SSDI, not Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
Who Is Eligible For Auxiliary Social Security Benefits?
If your spouse wants to qualify for auxiliary benefits, they must be under age 62 and be the joint caregiver of any children under age 15 that you have together. They may also be eligible if they care for a child with a disability, regardless of the child’s age. If you get divorced, your spouse may still be eligible for payments if you were married at least ten years before the divorce. For your children to qualify for auxiliary benefits on your record, they must be unmarried and under age 17. Unmarried children aged 18 or 19 may be eligible if they are enrolled in K-12 schools full-time. You can add spouses and children to your disability claim at the time of application or at any point after that.
Grandchildren or step-grandchildren might qualify for benefits on an eligible grandparent’s earnings record if the child’s parents are deceased or disabled, and the child began living with the grandparent before turning 18 years old. The child must also have received at least half of their financial support from the grandparent in the year before the grandparent became eligible to receive SSDI benefits.
Parents may also qualify for auxiliary benefits on a deceased worker’s record if they were dependent on the deceased child for at least half their financial support, are at least 62 years old, have not remarried since their child died, and are not entitled to their own, high Social Security benefits.
How Much Money Can You Receive From Auxiliary Benefits?
Payments cannot exceed the maximum family benefit, which is calculated based on the disabled worker’s Primary Insurance Amount (PIA); this is the amount the worker would receive as their monthly benefit at full retirement age. Your age, earnings, pension, and the number of qualifying family members impact how much eligible individuals can earn. The older you are, up until full retirement age between 66 and 67, the higher your payment amount will be. Earning limits may also be in place, which means family members receiving auxiliary benefits cannot earn more than this set amount, or benefits will temporarily be reduced for the year the limit was surpassed. Similarly, individuals who receive a pension may see payment amounts lowered.
If multiple family members are eligible for auxiliary benefits, Social Security will only pay between 150% and 180% of your benefits for the entire family. Therefore, if the total amount your family members qualify for exceeds that percentage, Social Security will reduce benefits equally among all eligible spouses and children.
When to Work With an SSDI Attorney
SSDI and auxiliary benefits are complex. It’s often difficult to decipher the SSA’s language concerning qualifications and award amounts. If you are facing a disability or retirement, it’s possible financial support is also available to your dependent family members. Jeffrey Freedman Attorneys can review your and your family’s situation and help you determine what benefits you are eligible for. Plus, our team can guide you through the application and appeal processes. Get in touch with us today to schedule a consultation.