These insurance benefits are paid to a worker’s biological child, adopted child or dependent stepchild. In some cases, the child also could be eligible for benefits based on his or her grandparents’ or step grandparents’ earnings.
To receive this benefit, a child must have the following:
- parent(s) who is disabled or retired and entitled to Social Security benefits, or
- parent who died after having worked long enough in a job where he or she paid Social Security taxes.
The children must meet the following requirements as well:
- unmarried
- younger than 18 years old, or
- must be 18-19 years old and a full-time student (no higher than grade 12), or 18 years old or older and disabled (the disability must have started before age 22).
What Are Your Next Steps?
The following information will lead you to the next steps to apply for this benefit.
Application Process
If you would like to find out if you may be eligible for any of the benefits SSA administers, visit http://best.ssa.gov.
Once you have completed the eligibility screening questionnaire, you will be provided with a list of benefits for which you may be eligible.
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