What Auxiliary Benefits Are

Auxiliary benefits are monthly payments the Social Security Administration makes to your spouse, ex-spouse, or children based on your Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) record — not on their own work history. You do not need to do anything to trigger these payments once you are approved for SSDI. Social Security automatically identifies family members who may be may have access to and contacts them with information about how to receive benefits.

The amount each family member receives is a percentage of your primary insurance amount (PIA) — the base monthly payment you get as the disabled worker. The total paid to your entire family cannot exceed a family maximum, which Social Security calculates when your case is approved. If your family reaches that cap, each person's payment shrinks proportionally.

Auxiliary benefits exist because SSDI recognizes that disability affects not just the worker but the household's entire income. A spouse who was not working, or a child in school, loses the income they depended on when the primary earner becomes unable to work. These payments help replace that lost household income.

Key Takeaways

  • Auxiliary benefits are paid to your spouse, ex-spouse, or children based on your SSDI record, and Social Security contacts them automatically once you are approved.
  • Each family member receives a percentage of your primary insurance amount, typically 50% for a spouse and 75% for each child, but the total family payment cannot exceed the family maximum.
  • Your spouse must be at least 62 years old, or any age if caring for your child under 16, and your ex-spouse must have been married to you for at least 10 years.
  • Children can receive auxiliary benefits until age 18, or until 19 if still in high school full-time, or indefinitely if disabled before age 22.
  • If you work and earn above the annual earnings limit, your benefits may be reduced or suspended, and your family members' auxiliary benefits are reduced or suspended along with yours.

Who Can Receive Auxiliary Benefits

Your spouse can receive auxiliary benefits if they are at least 62 years old, or any age if they are caring for your biological, adopted, or stepchild who is under 16 and also receiving auxiliary benefits. The spouse does not need to have worked or paid into Social Security.

Your ex-spouse can receive auxiliary benefits on your record if you were married for at least 10 years, you are at least 62 years old, and your ex-spouse is at least 62 years old (or any age if caring for your child under 16). The marriage does not need to have ended recently — Social Security can pay on a decades-old marriage.

Your children can receive auxiliary benefits if they are your biological children, stepchildren, or adopted children. They must be under 18, or under 19 if enrolled full-time in high school, or any age if they became disabled before turning 22. Once a child turns 18 (or 19 if in high school), benefits stop unless they are disabled.

A child who is disabled before age 22 can receive auxiliary benefits for life, even after turning 18 or finishing high school. Social Security calls this disabled adult child status. The child must have a medical condition that meets SSDI's disability standard and must have become disabled before their 22nd birthday.

How Much Auxiliary Benefits Pay

Social Security calculates each family member's payment as a percentage of your primary insurance amount. A spouse typically receives 50% of your PIA, and each child typically receives 75% of your PIA. An ex-spouse receives the same 50% as a current spouse.

However, the total amount paid to all family members combined cannot exceed the family maximum, which is usually 150% to 180% of your PIA. Social Security calculates your family maximum when your SSDI case is approved and includes it in your approval notice. If your spouse and children together would receive more than the family maximum, Social Security reduces each person's payment proportionally so the total does not exceed the cap.

For example, if your PIA is $1,200 and your family maximum is $2,000, and you have a spouse and two children, Social Security would normally pay $600 to your spouse and $900 to each child (totaling $2,400). Instead, it pays each person a reduced amount so the total equals $2,000. The reduction is applied equally to each family member's share.

Auxiliary benefits do not increase or decrease based on the family member's own income, age, or work history. They are based solely on your SSDI record and your PIA.

How Family Members Receive Auxiliary Benefits

When Social Security approves your SSDI claim, it sends you an approval notice that lists your PIA and your family maximum. Social Security also sends separate notices to any family members it identifies as potentially may have access to to auxiliary benefits. These notices explain what auxiliary benefits are, how much the family member may receive, and what they need to do next.

Family members do not need to file a separate SSDI process. Instead, they file a claim for benefits on your record using Form SSA-25 (Statement Regarding Your Claim for Benefits). They can file this form online at ssa.gov, by phone at 1-800-772-1213, or in person at a local Social Security office. Social Security will contact them with instructions on how to file.

Once a family member files their claim, Social Security reviews it to confirm they meet the requirements for auxiliary benefits. This review usually takes two to four weeks. If approved, the family member receives their first payment within one to two months of filing.

If a family member does not file a claim, they do not receive auxiliary benefits, even though they are may have access to. Social Security does not pay automatically — the family member must take the step of filing.

What Happens to Auxiliary Benefits If You Work

If you work and earn more than the annual earnings limit set by Social Security, your SSDI benefits are reduced or suspended. When your benefits are reduced or suspended, your family members' auxiliary benefits are also reduced or suspended by the same amount.

For 2024, the earnings limit is $23,400 per year (this amount changes each year). If you earn more than this amount, Social Security deducts $1 from your benefits for every $2 you earn above the limit. Once your earnings reach a certain point, your benefits stop entirely for that month.

This reduction affects the entire family. If your payment drops by $300 because of your work earnings, and your family maximum is reduced as a result, your spouse's and children's payments also drop. Social Security recalculates the family maximum each year based on your current earnings and work status.

If you return to work after receiving SSDI, tell Social Security as soon as possible. You are required to report your work and earnings, and Social Security uses this information to adjust your payment and your family members' payments correctly.

When Auxiliary Benefits Stop

A spouse's auxiliary benefits stop when the spouse turns 70, when you (the primary beneficiary) die, when you are no longer receiving SSDI, or when the marriage ends (for a current spouse). An ex-spouse's benefits stop when the ex-spouse turns 70, when you die, or when you are no longer receiving SSDI.

A child's auxiliary benefits stop when the child turns 18, unless the child is in high school full-time (in which case benefits continue until age 19 or graduation, whichever comes first). If the child is disabled before age 22, benefits continue for life. Benefits also stop if the child dies or if you (the primary beneficiary) are no longer receiving SSDI.

If you die while receiving SSDI, your family members do not automatically switch to survivor benefits. Instead, Social Security contacts them and explains that they may be may have access to to survivor benefits on your record, which are calculated differently from auxiliary benefits. A family member must file a new claim for survivor benefits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my spouse receive auxiliary benefits if they also worked and have their own Social Security record?

Yes. Your spouse can receive auxiliary benefits on your SSDI record even if they also have their own Social Security record. Social Security pays whichever amount is higher — the spouse's own retirement benefit or the auxiliary benefit on your record — but not both. Your spouse cannot receive both payments at the same time.

What if my ex-spouse remarries — do their auxiliary benefits stop?

Yes. An ex-spouse's auxiliary benefits stop if they remarry, unless they remarry someone who is also receiving Social Security benefits (retirement, disability, or survivor benefits). In that case, the ex-spouse can continue receiving auxiliary benefits on your record.

Do my children's auxiliary benefits count as income for other programs like SNAP or Medicaid?

Yes. Auxiliary benefits are counted as unearned income for most means-tested programs, including SNAP (food information) and Medicaid. The amount of auxiliary benefits your child receives may affect your household's income level and could change your family's may be able to access for these programs. Contact your state's SNAP or Medicaid office to understand how auxiliary benefits affect your specific situation.

If I remarry, do my new spouse automatically receive auxiliary benefits?

No. A new spouse does not automatically receive auxiliary benefits. The new spouse must file a claim for benefits on your SSDI record and meet all the requirements (age 62 or caring for your child under 16). Social Security will contact your new spouse with information about how to file once it learns of the marriage.

Can a family member receive auxiliary benefits if they live outside the United States?

Generally, yes, but there are restrictions. Family members who live in most countries can receive auxiliary benefits, but Social Security has a list of countries where it cannot pay benefits. If a family member lives outside the U.S., they should contact Social Security to confirm their country is not on the restricted list and to arrange how payments will be delivered.