Social Security Pays Benefits to Children After the Death of a Parent
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: June 20, 2024
When many people think of Social Security, retirement springs to mind. But did you know that about 2.7 million children receive Social Security? More than half of these children get benefits after the death of a parent who worked and paid Social Security taxes.
In fact, 98 out of 100 children in this country could get Social Security if a working parent dies. In some cases, the child’s surviving parent is eligible for benefits as well.
The death of a parent can have negative financial, health, and educational effects on children, according to research by David Weaver of the University of South Carolina published in Population Review in 2019. When tragedy happens, we can help.
Social Security benefits are very valuable for surviving children and their families. They come from all walks of life and all races and ethnicities, income levels, geographic locations, and more.
We estimate that Social Security Survivors Insurance is equivalent to a life insurance policy with a face value of $930,000 for a young worker with average earnings who leaves behind a spouse and two children.
We base the monthly benefit amount on the earnings of the deceased parent. The average surviving child benefit is more than $1,000 per month. We pay benefits until the child turns 18 or 19, if the child is in high school, and is not married. A stepchild, grandchild, step-grandchild, or adopted child may be eligible for monthly benefits under certain circumstances.
Survivors benefits may be payable to an adult child of a deceased worker, if they have a disability that began before age 22, they are not able to work, and meet all eligibility requirements.
If a child in your life has lost a parent, it’s important for the child’s family to reach out to us as soon as possible. The date you contact us to file an application can affect when the child’s benefits begin.
You can call us at 1-800-772-1213 between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. We can usually schedule an appointment in 30-60 days. We will let you know what information you need to apply. We provide free interpreter services by phone or in person in your local Social Security office.
To learn more, visit our Survivors Benefits and Parents and Guardians webpages.
Please share this information with your friends and family who may need it – and post it on social media.
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Tags: Children, equity, Social Security benefits, survivors benefits
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Bonnie T.
Hi, my dad was 74 when he died. He slowly committed suicide by Percocet and heavy alcohol use. He totally stopped eating and rejected any help. The last year of his life for his family was HELL. He was in and out of jail and psych wards; this WAS NOT the father who raised me. I was working as a psychiatry CMA and the last year of his life affected me severely. I was loosing weight, not sleeping, barley eating, worrying ALL THE TIME, extreme anxiety, overwhelming sadness, very angry, moody, withdrawn, and very emotional. He would call or text my phone anywhere between 5 10 times a day and often back to back. Sometimes he was himself but more often than not he was incredibly mean, manipulative, threaten to kill himself, cuss me out (would say he wished I was dead and while I’m alive his life is not worth living), or he would cry, be very hopeless ( growing up my dad was a man of God). I was scared he was going to kill my stepmother and grandmother untill they made him move out and that made him EVEN WORSE. All my patients were triggers to me and my work quickly declined. I looked in the mirror and DID NOT recognize myself anymore. I have Fibromyalgia and often it would flare because of this- extreme fatigue, extreme anxiety and saddened. I was paranoid.everytime the phone would ring or a text would could through “ is it him”? “Is it my mom calling to say he finally killed himself or he killed someone else while driving under the influence “? I stopped talking to him for a while because I just could not take it anymore; the things he was saying and watching him kill himself was too much to bare. “Why was I or his other daughters and grandkids not enough to live for”? The last six months of his life he took a turn for the worst, was arrested in substance use AGAIN while driving and was arrested. This time no one would get him out we figured this was the safest place for him and others in the road. Long story short he got sick with pneumonia and was released but no I e called us and told us. We looked and called everywhere we thought he was in a ditch somewhere dead. My sister called the hospitals where he was living and found him!! He couldn’t call us because his phone was in his truck which had been impounded. While there he refused any treatment except pain meds of course. Refused eating and feeding tube and even drinking. I drove down and BEGGED him to take the treatment but he wouldn’t. April 2023 was my husband and I 1 year anniversary and we were in pensacola, Florida celebrating (which wasn’t much of a celebration since my dad was dieing). Our last night there mom called and said they are being in hospice and he is yelling your name. We packed up quickly and drove 12 hrs straight to were he was and for 3 days HE WAS MY DAD AS I HAD ALWAYS KNOWN HIM. I NEVER LEFT HIS SIDE and 3 days later he took his last breath while looking at me and was gone. The first man I had EVER LOVED dead over drugs and alcohol, I am no longer anyones “baby, pumpkin, or bonkey” he took a piece of me and my heart when he left. I went down hill after that saw his face in my dreams looking at me when he died nightly. I was averaging about 3 hrs a sleep a night, my job was in jeopardy, nursing was my passion and calling but EVERY patient was a trigger. Everyone said I was different but I was in denial. I was sad ALL THE TIME, or angry, or crying, in pain, or all at once then my body shut down and went completely numb and I lost my job. I also found out that the woman who raised me since I was 4 and who had not been with him the last 2 years of his and who had a boyfriend now was selling his behind my back. All I wanted was my dads necklace with the cross that he has had for as long as I can remember but she would not give it to me( she took it to see how much it was worth ). Needless to see when I found all of this out I was pissed and comforted her and quickly found out I was JUST A STEPCHILD and that hurt as much as loosing my dad. I never wanted his money all though it would have helped since we just purchased a new house the year before but of course she said there was none and that is a complete lie. I was not going to fight that BUT I WAS GOIng TO GET MY DADS MOST PRECIOUS POSSESSIONS… which I did. I will give her credit she knew he would not live long and if she divorced him she would not get much so cruley stayed with him giving him false hope till his last breath. Is there anything I can do about getting benefits? Mentally I just can not work and still dealing with all her drama.
Jennifer
My father American citizen died 17 years ago, my mother was left with 3 children ages 17,12,7 years old.
Can we still claim the unpaid if so what do we need?
Kamela J.
Hello, my husband dead in New York a few months ago, he was a resident with a Green card in the state of New York. My two children and I are citizens of Another country of Asian and we have never had a residence, insurance, or staying in the USA. My husband has been working for 4 years and was provided with insurance, In the state of New York. Please let me know if my children can benefit from their father’s insurance, since they are between the ages of 1 and 5. My children and I don’t have either any type of insurance in the USA nor residence And we have never been to the USA. Thank you.