Social Security Benefits for Children Under 18

Parental Criteria

• A dependent child, including adopted, biological or step, is eligible to receive Social Security benefits if a parent is disabled or retired and is entitled to receive Social Security benefits. A child also can receive benefits if a parent is deceased after having paid Social Security taxes for sufficient years through an employer. Generally, this equals 40 Social Security credits or 10 years of employment. Each year of taxable employment counts as four Social Security credits.

Child Criteria

• To be eligible to receive Social Security benefits, a child must be under the age of 18 and unmarried. The child can be between 18 and 19 years old if he is a full-time student or is disabled.

Applying for Benefits

• Submit your child's birth certificate and her Social Security number along with the qualifying parent's Social Security number to the SSA. If you are applying for survivor benefits for your child, provide the SSA with a copy of your spouse's death certificate. To receive benefits for a disabled child under 18, provide official documentation from your child's physician that confirms the child is disabled.

Family Benefit Amounts

• Children under 18 can receive as much as one-half of a qualifying parent's full retirement or disability benefits. In cases in which the parent is deceased, a child can receive 75 percent of the deceased parent's basic Social Security benefit. Regardless of the reason, the maximum amount of Social Security benefits an entire family can receive is between 150 percent and 180 percent of the qualifying parent's full benefit amount.

Considerations

• Social Security benefits end when the child turns 18 unless he is disabled or a full-time student attending a secondary school. In the case of students, the benefits can be extended until graduation or the beneficiary turns 19. If the beneficiary is disabled, the SSA will review her benefit status under adult rules at some point between the ages of 18 and 22.