Social Security Disability Benefits for Dependents -- an Overview
Dependents who rely on the income of social security disability beneficiariesmay also be eligible for the benefits of social security. The eligibility criteria for disability benefits of a certain family member or relative depend upon the type of Social Security disability benefits the beneficiary is availing of. Medical record review for disability attorneys is important to help get the benefits the dependents deserve.
Social Security Benefits -Types
- Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
● Eligibility determination is based on disability and work credits
● Eligible for Medicare benefits after 2 years
● The waiting period is 5 months
● Payout determination is based on location and monthly income
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
● Eligibility determination is based on age, disability, income/resources
● Qualified for Medicaid
● The waiting period is the first of the month after approval of the benefits
● Payout is determined based on the record of earnings
SSDI- Benefits for dependents
With reference to disabilitysecrets.com, the qualification criteria for dependents to receive SSDI benefits
are as follows:
● Spouse
If the spouse has a disability and has a work history as mandated by SSDI benefits, you are eligible to receive the benefits if any one of the following requirements is met:
➔ You are 62 or older, or
➔ You are carrying a child who is under 16 years old (or disabled) and is eligible for dependents' benefits.
● Ex-Spouse
You are eligible to receive benefits from your ex-spouse if you are divorced but were married for 10 years or more. Below given are the requirements:
➔ You are not married (If you remarried and that marriage later ended, you still qualify under this requirement)
➔ You are 62 or older, and
➔ Your ex-spouse is eligible for SSDI benefits
● Minor Children
Children with a parent who has SSDI benefits are eligible to receive benefits. The benefits of social security cover biological children, adopted children, and dependent stepchildren. For a child to be entitled to the benefits he/she must be:
➔ Unmarried, and
➔ Younger than 18 years old
● Adult children
Adult children (18 or over) with a parent who is eligible for SSDI benefits can receive the benefits under the following circumstances:
➔ The adult child is disabled and the disability occurred before the child turned 22 years.
➔ The child has to be a full-time student at a secondary school and is under 19 years old. The child can continue to receive the benefits until graduation or two months after the child’s 19th birthday, whichever comes first.
● Grandchildren
If the grandparent is collecting SSDI, there are provisions for grandchildren or step-grandchildren to receive dependents’ benefits. To be eligible to receive the dependents’ benefits, all of the following criteria have to be met:
➔ The parents of the grandchild must be deceased or disabled
➔ The grandchild must have begun living with the grandparent before he or she turned 18 years old.
➔ The grandchild must have received at least half of his or her financial support from the grandparent in the year before the grandparent became eligible to receive SSDI benefits.
● Parents
The older parent can collect the Social Security benefit if he/she is a parent of an insured worker who has died and he/she was dependent on him/her for more than half of the support. The social security benefits are paid to the eligible candidate on a monthly basis if all of the following requirements are met:
➔ You are at least 62 years old
➔ You have not remarried since your child’s death
➔ There is no higher social security benefit for the parent
➔ The parent should have been receiving one-half of the financial support from the child at the time of his/her death. It is important to submit the evidence of this financial support received from the child to social security within two years of the child’s death.
Medical records contain pertinent data on the degree of disability and are supporting evidence to claim deserved benefits for the dependents. Attorneys can rely upon medical review services to determine the nature and extent of the disability of their clients.
