Social Security's Child-in-Care Benefits
There may be a better option than having your spouse file for spousal retirement benefits right away...
By now I hope many of you understand the many advantages of filing for SSI before your child turns 22. To recap, it goes a long way to proving a child’s disability before the age of 22. This is an important metric to meet for both Disabled Adult Child Benefits (DAC) AND the Child-in-Care Benefit. Stay tuned for a future Waypoints discussion about DAC.
When my wife died I didn’t know about Child-in-Care Benefits. I remember them saying I wouldn’t get anything because I made too much money, but I didn’t understand why and I didn’t look any further. I got my one-time payment of $255. Because my son was 12 when she died he started getting Social Security. I applied for SSI for him as an adult when he turned 18. It wasn’t until much later that I learned I could try to qualify to receive Social Security benefits from my wife because I was caring for my son.
In the interest of full disclosure, I have not applied (and will not) for this benefit. There is a limit to how much income you can make and apply for these benefits. There are also rules that apply to divorced spouses. In the following paragraphs, I will review the criteria to qualify. I will also provide an example to help you see how it could work. And read until the end to get your Zoom registration link for the monthly Q & A.
I won’t be going too deep into how to qualify for benefits if you’re divorced, just know you may qualify. I’m available for consultations if you’d like to learn more. You can set up a time for us to talk using this link.
Who Qualifies?
Spouse of a retiree collecting Social Security who is caring for a child under the age of 16.
Spouse of a retiree collecting Social Security who is caring for a disabled child of any age (child must meet social security’s definition of disability). IMO the easiest way to do this is to apply for their SSI at the age of 18, if they’re approved they meet Social Security’s definition.
Surviving spouse caring for a child under the age of 16.
Surviving spouse caring for a disabled child of any age (child must meet Social Security’s definition of disability).
Divorced spouse caring for a child under the age of 16.
Divorced spouse caring for a disabled child of any age (child must meet Social Security’s definition of disability).
Wouldn’t it be great if this was all you had to know? Unfortunately, that’s not how Social Security works. So let’s take a look at some things you will want to keep in mind. I can’t cover every possible situation, so if you have questions about your specific situation I recommend you contact your local social security office. They will be your best resource because they have the final say.
