SSD Family Benefits
You probably know that a U.S. worker who is medically unable to work may be eligible for Social Security disability (SSD) benefits. If a worker meets the SSA’s definition of “disabled” and has accumulated sufficient work credits, they may receive a monthly benefit in the same amount they would have received in retirement benefits. After two years, a disabled worker on SSD is also eligible for Medicare coverage.
What you may not know is that certain family members of an SSD recipient may also be eligible for benefits. Here’s what you need to know about who qualifies and how benefits are determined.
Who Can Get SSD Family Benefits?
Under certain circumstances, the following family members of disabled workers may receive benefits:
- A spouse who has been married to the SSD recipient for at least one year
- A former spouse who was married to the SSD recipient for at least 10 years
- An unmarried minor child of the SSD recipient
- An unmarried child of the SSD recipient who is 18 or 19 years old but still in high school
- An unmarried disabled adult child of the SSD recipient
Under certain limited circumstances, other family members may be eligible for benefits.
In the most recent year reported, the Social Security Administration (SSA) paid SSD family benefits to more than 90,000 spouses and former spouses and more than 1.1 million children of SSD recipients. The vast majority of those children were under the age of 18.
There are some additional requirements for a spouse or former spouse to be eligible for SSD family benefits. The spouse or former spouse must also either:
- Be at least 62 years of age
- Be disabled
- Be caring for a child younger than 17, or
- Be caring for a child 17 or older who is disabled
How are SSD Family Benefits Determined?
Unlike many other types of benefits, SSD benefits are determined based on the individual disabled workers’ past earnings and contributions. Since SSD family benefits are based on the disabled workers’ benefits, that means those benefits also vary based on the SSD recipient’s past earnings.
An eligible family member may receive up to 50% of the SSD recipient’s monthly benefit amount. However, total family benefits are capped. So, if there are multiple family members who qualify for benefits, the benefit amounts may be reduced so as not to exceed the cap. However, benefits paid to a former spouse don’t count toward the family maximum.
Disability Help Group is Here for You
The seasoned advocates at Disability Help Group work hard every day to make sure disabled workers and their families have access to the benefits they’ve earned. To learn more about how we can help your family, call 800-800-3332 or fill out our contact form here.
