If you are a single father dealing with a disability, the physical and financial burdens can be frustrating. If you have no spouse to bring in extra income, it can be difficult to support your family, especially if you are disabled or have a child with a disability. You may be worried about how to care for your children, or what can happen if the disability gets worse. The good news is, the Social Security Disability Insurance fund is designed to take care of you, if you or your children qualify for disability benefits.
Who can get child's benefits?
A child can receive benefits if he/she is your biological or adopted child - or dependent stepchild - and you are disabled and entitled to Social Security benefits. A child could also be eligible if he/she had a parent who died after working long enough to pay Social Security taxes. In addition, the child must be unmarried and less than 18 years of age, or 18-19 years old and a full-time student. Benefits usually stop when the child reaches the age of 18, unless he or she is disabled.
What if I'm a widower?
If your spouse worked long enough to pay Social Security taxes, you may be able to receive survivor benefits if you are taking care of your deceased spouse's children and the children are under 16 years of age or disabled. If you remarry after 60 years old (age 50 if disabled) your remarriage will not affect your eligibility for survivors benefits.
How much can a family get?
Each child may receive up to half a disabled parent's benefit, or 75% of a deceased parent's benefit. However, there is a limited amount that can be paid to the family each month. The family maximum payment is determined by the SSA and can be 150-180% of the disabled or deceased parent's full benefit amount.
How do I apply for child's benefits?
If you apply for disability benefits and want your child to receive benefits as well, you will need to provide your child's birth certificate and Social Security number, as well as your own Social Security number. Depending on the type of benefit involved, other documents may be required. If you are applying for survivors benefits , you will need a death certificate for the deceased parent. If you are applying for benefits for a disabled child, you will need to provide medical records to prove he or she is disabled. To get started, visit www.socialsecurity.gov.
If you need assistance in applying for social security disability benefits, you can talk to the experienced SSDI legal team at George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers.
