Your child may receive benefits on your SSDI record if they are under 19 (or up to 22 if a full-time student), unmarried, and disabled before age 22

When you receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), your child does not automatically get benefits. You must request them. The Social Security Administration (SSA) will not contact you or your child about this possibility—you have to start the process yourself by calling 1-800-772-1213 or visiting your local Social Security office.

Your child's benefit amount is typically 50 percent of your full disability benefit, though the family maximum (the most your household can receive combined) may reduce what each person gets. The child's own work history does not matter. What matters is your record, your disability status, and the child's age and status at the time you file.

This is separate from Supplemental Security Income (SSI), which is a needs-based program for disabled children. A child can receive benefits on a parent's SSDI record regardless of household income or assets, but SSI has strict limits on both. Many families have children on both programs at the same time.

Key Takeaways

  • Your child must be under 19, or under 22 if attending high school full-time, and unmarried to receive benefits on your SSDI record.
  • You must contact Social Security yourself to request child benefits; the agency will not notify you that your child may be may have access to.
  • Your child's benefit is usually 50 percent of your full disability amount, but the family maximum may reduce it if multiple family members receive benefits.
  • A child can receive benefits on your SSDI record even if your household income is high, unlike SSI, which has strict income and asset limits.
  • If your child is disabled before age 22, they may continue to receive benefits as an adult on your record even after they turn 19.

Age and Status Requirements for Child Benefits

Your child must meet three conditions at the time you file for child benefits: they must be unmarried, under 19 years old, and your child (biological, adopted, or stepchild in some cases). If your child is 19 or older but was a full-time high school student before turning 19, they can receive benefits until age 22. Once they graduate, drop out, or turn 22—whichever comes first—benefits stop.

A child who is disabled before age 22 is treated differently. If your child has a disability that began before their 22nd birthday, they can continue receiving benefits on your record for life, even after turning 19 or 22. This is called a disabled adult child benefit. The disability must be severe enough to meet SSA's definition, which is the same standard used to approve SSDI for adults.

Marriage ends child benefits when ready. If your child marries, they lose the right to benefits on your record, even if they are still in school or disabled. Remarriage does not restore benefits.

How to Request Child Benefits on Your SSDI Record

Contact Social Security by phone at 1-800-772-1213, by visiting your local Social Security office, or by creating an account at ssa.gov and sending a message through your online account. Tell them you are receiving SSDI and want to request benefits for your child. You will need to provide your child's Social Security number, birth date, and current address.

Social Security will send you an process form (Form SSA-1-BK, "process for Child's Insurance Benefits"). You must complete and return this form. The agency may also ask for documents such as your child's birth certificate, proof of school enrollment (if your child is 19 or 20), or medical records if your child is disabled.

Processing typically takes 2 to 3 months from the date you submit the completed process. Benefits are usually paid retroactively to the month you filed the request, not to the month your child was born or the month you became disabled. Filing sooner rather than later protects your child's back pay.

How the Family Maximum Affects Your Child's Payment

Social Security sets a family maximum—the total amount your entire family can receive based on your SSDI record. This maximum is usually 150 to 180 percent of your full disability benefit amount, though the exact percentage varies by your age and earnings record. If your child's benefit plus your benefit plus any other family members' benefits exceeds this maximum, each person's payment is reduced proportionally.

For example, if your full disability benefit is $1,200 per month and the family maximum is $2,000, your child would normally receive $600 (50 percent of $1,200). But if your spouse also receives a spousal benefit, the total might exceed $2,000, and both your child's and your spouse's payments would be cut to stay within the limit. Your own benefit is never reduced.

You can ask Social Security to calculate the family maximum and show you how it affects your child's payment before you file. Call 1-800-772-1213 and ask for a benefit estimate that includes all family members who might receive benefits.

Disabled Adult Children and Benefits That Continue Past Age 19

If your child has a disability that began before age 22, they can receive benefits on your record indefinitely—through adulthood, retirement, and for life. This is called a disabled adult child (DAC) benefit. The child does not have to be in school, does not have to be under 19, and does not have to live with you. The only requirement is that the disability was present before the child turned 22.

The disability must meet SSA's definition of disability, which means it must prevent the person from working at a substantial level (currently defined as earning more than $1,550 per month in 2024, though this amount changes yearly) and must be expected to last at least 12 months or result in death. SSA will review the child's medical records and may order a consultative examination.

Once approved as a disabled adult child, your child's benefits continue as long as they remain disabled and unmarried. If your child works and earns above the substantial gainful activity level, SSA may find them no longer disabled and stop benefits. If your child marries, benefits end when ready.

What Happens to Your Child's Benefits When You Die or Stop Receiving SSDI

If you die while receiving SSDI, your child's benefits do not automatically stop. Instead, your child may become may have access to to survivor benefits on your record. The rules are similar: unmarried children under 19 (or under 22 if a full-time high school student) receive benefits, and disabled adult children continue to receive them. The payment amount is usually the same as the child benefit was while you were alive.

If you stop receiving SSDI because you return to work and your benefits are suspended or terminated, your child's benefits also stop. If your benefits are suspended due to work (under the trial work period or extended period of may be able to access), your child's benefits are also suspended but may resume if your benefits resume. If your SSDI is terminated permanently, your child loses the right to benefits on your record.

If you recover from your disability and are no longer found disabled, your child's benefits end. This is rare, but it can happen if SSA reviews your case and determines your condition has improved enough that you can work.

Child Benefits Versus SSI for Disabled Children

Your child may be may have access to to benefits on your SSDI record, SSI, or both. Child benefits on your SSDI record are not means-tested—they do not depend on your household income or assets. A child can receive $1,000 per month on a parent's SSDI record even if the household income is $100,000 per year.

SSI, by contrast, is a needs-based program. A child can receive SSI only if the household's income and assets fall below certain limits (in 2024, the limit is roughly $2,000 in countable assets for the child and $3,821 in monthly household income for a family of three, though these figures vary by state and change yearly). Many families have children on both programs because the income limit for SSI is low enough that a parent's SSDI benefit alone may not disqualify the child.

If your child receives both, the SSI payment is usually reduced by the amount of the child benefit. For example, if your child receives $600 on your SSDI record and would receive $900 from SSI, the SSI payment is reduced to $300. The total is $900, but it comes from both programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my child receive benefits if I am on SSDI but not yet retired?

Yes. Your child can receive benefits on your SSDI record at any age you are receiving SSDI, as long as the child meets the age and status requirements. SSDI is not the same as retirement benefits; you do not have to reach retirement age for your child to be may have access to.

What if my child is adopted or my stepchild?

Adopted children can receive benefits on your SSDI record the same way biological children can. Stepchildren can receive benefits if you legally adopted them or if you married the child's parent before the child turned 16 and have been living with the child. Grandchildren and other relatives generally cannot receive benefits on your record unless you legally adopted them.

Does my child's own income or work affect their benefits?

A child under 19 who is not disabled can earn any amount without losing benefits. A disabled adult child (age 19 or older) can earn up to $1,550 per month (in 2024) without losing benefits. Earnings above that level may result in a finding that the child is no longer disabled and benefits may stop. School attendance does not count as work.

Can I request child benefits after my child turns 19?

If your child is 19 or older and not a full-time high school student, you cannot request regular child benefits. However, if your child is disabled and the disability began before age 22, you can request disabled adult child benefits at any time, even years later. Bring medical records documenting the disability and when it began.

What if I was not receiving SSDI when my child was born?

You can still request child benefits once you start receiving SSDI. Benefits are usually paid from the month you file the request, not retroactively to your child's birth. If you became disabled years ago but only recently filed for SSDI, your child can receive benefits from the month you filed for child benefits, subject to the family maximum.