If You Are Young and Lose a Parent
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: September 13, 2018
Social Security is here for young people when a parent passes away. We know that the loss of a parent isn’t just emotionally painful; it can be devastating to a family’s finances. In the same way that Social Security helps to lift up the disabled and elderly when they need it, we support families when an income-earning parent dies.
In 2017, we distributed an average of $2.6 billion each month to benefit about 4.2 million children because one or both of their parents are disabled, retired, or deceased. Those dollars help to provide the necessities of life and help make it possible for those children to complete high school.
You might ask, who can get child’s benefits? Your unmarried child can get benefits if they’re:
- Younger than age 18;
- 18-19 years old and a full-time student (no higher than grade 12); or
- 18 or older with a disability that began before age 22.
To get benefits, a child must have:
- A parent who’s disabled or retired and entitled to Social Security benefits; or
- A parent who died after having worked long enough in a job where they paid Social Security taxes.
Benefits stop when your child reaches age 18 unless your child is a student or disabled.
Within a family, a child can receive up to half of the parent’s full retirement or disability benefit. If a child receives Survivors benefits, he or she can get up to 75 percent of the deceased parent’s basic Social Security benefit.
There is a limit to the amount of money that we can pay to a family. This family maximum is determined as part of every Social Security benefit computation. It can be from 150 to 180 percent of the parent’s full benefit amount. If the total amount payable to all family members exceeds this limit, we reduce each person’s benefit proportionately (except the parent’s) until the total equals the maximum allowable amount.
Children with disabilities may also be eligible for benefits. You can read more about Benefits for Children with Disabilities.
Social Security is securing today and tomorrow, protecting our future and the next generation.
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Tags: Social Security benefits, survivors benefits
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Jim Borland, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications
Jim Borland, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications
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Baby
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Jatee J.
Hello my nephew’s father is currently on life support and isn’t turning around. Ss cut him off for missing an annual appointment of some sort. My nephew is 21 years old and has been left with the responsibility of taking care of the household including 2 minor siblings and an 18 year old brother who were all living together. How does he go about getting his father’s social security back on and receiving benefits to keep up the household. He is now at risk of losing the residence and children. Any help at all would be great.
Vonda V.
Hi Jatee. For your security, we do not have access to private information in this venue. We ask that members in our Blog community work with our offices with specific questions. Your nephew should call us at 1-800-772-1213 for assistance or he can contact his local Social Security office. Tell him to look for the general inquiry telephone number at the Social Security Office Locator. The number may appear under Show Additional Office Information.
Jeff
Hi, when we were young and cared for young children both of your parents passed away. Non one advised us of collecting SS as a result of this and we were left to fend for ourselves having 6 children under 18, the youngest being 5. Is there anyway now to collect what was rightfully ours and distribute it to each one who was under 18 at the time?
Ann C.
Hi, Jeff. Thanks for your question. You can find more information on benefits for children here. Keep in mind during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are focusing on providing specific critical services to people in dire need. For more information, visit here. We hope this helps.
Joy K.
My parents were never married, but my father died when I was about 6 years old. I am currently 19 and in college. I have never personally got any social security funds from his passing, but I know that there is or should be some. Would my mother have gotten them even though they werent married? Or would it go to my sister and I? If so how would I maintain access to this?
Candace W.
Hey my sons father passed away a few weeks ago. He didnt work enough credits for my son to qualify to receive benefits. He was taken out of work and was put on workers comp in 2014 and was taken off in 2018. Does his workers comp time get accounted into his credits. Or can my son receive benefits because he was on workers comp within the past three years of his death?
Ann C.
Hi, Candance. We are sorry to hear about your loss. Credits are the “building blocks” we use to find out whether an individual has the minimum amount of covered work to qualify for each type of Social Security benefits. No benefits can be paid if they do not have enough credits. Visit our Benefits Planner page to learn more information about credits. We hope this helps.
Becca C.
Hi, we became guardians of a child who lost both his parents when he 11. He receives his dad’s social security and has for these past years. He is about to turn 18 and want to go off to college. Will he still be eligible to keep receiving his dad’s SS? If so will it get him through college years?
Kenny O.
Hi Becca, thank you for using our blog to ask your question. To be eligible for children’s benefits, the child must be unmarried and:
• Younger than age 18;
• A full-time student (no higher than grade 12) 18 to 19 years old; or
• Have a disability that started before age 22 and is 18 years or older.
See our factsheet on Benefits for Children for more information.
Rebecca A.
Hello I’m Rebecca. And i was wondering if im already drawing SSI from my disability and SSA from my deceased father and im 28 years old. Would i still get my mother’s check when she passes away or how does that really work?
Mary R.
Trying to find out if my children can get social security benefits since their father passed away. He signed off in his rights as the father. I am not sure how this works.
Ann C.
Hi, Mary. For your security, we do not have access to private information in this venue. We ask that members in our Blog community work with our offices with specific questions. You can call us at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., for assistance. Generally, you will have a shorter wait if you call later in the day. You can also contact your local Social Security office. We hope this helps.
Hunter
Is it illegal for my mother to use my social security money from my deceased father to her benefit and none of it go to me or my younger brother
Dee
My granddaughter is 14 and we lost our son, her father, suddenly in 2016. Her mother had divorced our son in 2012 and they had shared custody of the two girls – (now 14 and 19). Her mother receives monthly social security benefits but has married a man who is verbally abusive and controlling and my former DIL in too scared of him to take any action. It appears when she filed for social security the did not note she was remarried or include her new husbands income in the information furnished to social security. My granddaughter wants to come live with us but in Oklahoma the law isn’t in our favor. Should I notify social security of the false filing for benefits and will they listen to me. I do have our late son’s ss number as well as the ex-wife ss number too. I’m just looking to do what is right and praying the abuse does not escalate to physical abuse. I am still allowed to she the 14 year old every two weeks.
Luis A.
Hi Dee. Thank you for your concern. Please call our toll-free number 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) to ask for an investigation. Also, you may report the possible fraud by using the electronic form from the Office of the Inspector General. We hope this helps.