Auxiliary benefits let family members collect on your Social Security Disability Insurance record

When you receive SSDI, certain family members can also collect benefits based on your earnings record—even if they have never worked. These are called auxiliary benefits. The Social Security Administration (SSA) pays them to your spouse, ex-spouse, and children under specific conditions. The total amount your family can collect is capped at a percentage of your own benefit, so adding family members does not increase your total household payment—it divides your existing family maximum among more people.

You do not need to do anything to make family members aware they may be may have access to. But you should understand who qualifies, how much they receive, and what happens to their benefits if circumstances change. This matters because a family member's benefit can end or shrink if they work, marry, or reach a certain age.

Key Takeaways

  • Your spouse, ex-spouse, and unmarried children under 19 (or 23 if in school full-time) can collect auxiliary benefits on your SSDI record.
  • The family maximum—usually 150 to 180 percent of your benefit—is divided among all family members collecting, so each person's share shrinks as more people claim.
  • A spouse or ex-spouse must be at least 62 years old, or any age if caring for your child under 16.
  • Auxiliary benefits end if a child marries, turns 19 (or 23 if in school), or if a spouse or ex-spouse remarries.
  • Work earnings above the annual limit can reduce or eliminate a family member's benefit, even if your own SSDI is unaffected.

Who can collect auxiliary benefits on your record

Your spouse can collect at any age if they are caring for your child who is under 16. If they are not caring for a child, they must be at least 62 years old. The benefit is roughly 32 to 50 percent of your own SSDI payment, depending on their age when they first claim.

Your ex-spouse can collect under the same rules as a current spouse—they must be at least 62 (or caring for your child under 16), and the marriage must have lasted at least 10 years. They do not need your permission, and claiming on your record does not reduce your own benefit. If you have remarried, your ex-spouse can still claim.

Your unmarried children can collect until they turn 19, or until 23 if they are enrolled full-time in high school or below. Children who became disabled before age 22 can collect for life, regardless of age. Each child typically receives 75 percent of your benefit amount, but this is reduced if the family maximum is hit.

A grandchild or step-grandchild may also collect if you were legally supporting them when you became disabled, and they were under 18 at that time. The rules are complex and depend on state law, so contact SSA directly if this applies to you.

How the family maximum works

The family maximum is a cap on the total amount SSA will pay to all family members combined. It is usually between 150 and 180 percent of your own SSDI benefit, though the exact percentage depends on your birth year and the formula SSA uses to calculate your benefit. If you receive $1,200 per month and your family maximum is 175 percent, the total paid to you and all family members cannot exceed $2,100 per month.

When multiple family members claim, SSA divides the family maximum among them. If you receive $1,200 and your spouse and two children also claim, SSA first calculates what each person would receive at their individual rate (spouse at 32–50 percent of your benefit, each child at 75 percent). Then, if that total exceeds the family maximum, SSA reduces each person's payment proportionally so the total does not go over.

This means your own benefit never changes when family members claim—but each family member's individual benefit shrinks as more people are added. A child's benefit might drop from $900 to $600 if a second child is added to the record. Understanding this matters when deciding whether a family member should claim now or wait.

Work earnings and how they affect auxiliary benefits

Family members under full retirement age (FRA) face an earnings limit. In 2024, SSA reduces benefits by $1 for every $2 earned above $23,400 per year. The month a family member reaches FRA, the limit jumps to $62,160, and only earnings before that month count. Once they reach FRA, work earnings no longer reduce their benefit at all.

This rule applies separately to each family member. Your own SSDI is never reduced by work earnings—the earnings test applies only to auxiliary beneficiaries. A spouse under FRA who works above the limit will see their benefit cut, but your payment stays the same. A child who works will have their benefit reduced, but their sibling's benefit is unaffected.

Family members should report earnings to SSA promptly. If they underreport and SSA discovers the discrepancy later, they may owe back benefits. SSA can also withhold future benefits to recover overpayments.

When auxiliary benefits end

A child's benefit ends the month they turn 19 (or 23 if in school full-time). If they marry before that age, the benefit ends when ready. If they become disabled before age 22, the benefit continues for life, even after they turn 19 or finish school. A child who returns to school after dropping out may restart benefits, but SSA must approve the change.

A spouse's benefit ends if they remarry, unless they remarry after age 60 (or 50 if disabled). It also ends if they stop caring for your child under 16 and are under 62 years old. If a spouse reaches FRA, the benefit continues indefinitely unless they remarry.

An ex-spouse's benefit ends if they remarry, with the same exception for remarriage after age 60. It also ends if you die, unless they were married to you for at least 10 years and have not remarried. If an ex-spouse is caring for your child under 16, the benefit continues as long as they remain unmarried and the child is in their care.

If you die, most auxiliary benefits convert to survivor benefits and continue under different rules. A spouse caring for your child can collect at any age. Children continue to collect until 19 (or 23 if in school). An ex-spouse who was married to you for at least 10 years can collect as a widow or widower.

How to report family members and manage their benefits

When you are approved for SSDI, SSA will ask whether you have a spouse or children. You should report them at that time, even if they do not plan to claim when ready. If you do not report them, they can still claim later, but there may be delays in processing.

Family members can claim by contacting SSA directly or by visiting a local Social Security office. They will need to provide proof of relationship (marriage certificate, birth certificate, adoption papers) and proof of age (birth certificate, passport). If claiming as an ex-spouse, they will also need the divorce decree and proof that the marriage lasted at least 10 years.

Once a family member is on your record, SSA sends them a separate benefit statement each year. They can also create their own my Social Security account to view their benefit, report earnings, and update contact information. If circumstances change—a child marries, a spouse turns 62, a family member starts work—they should report it to SSA within 30 days to avoid overpayments.

Auxiliary benefits and other programs

Auxiliary benefits count as income for means-tested programs like Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid. A family member receiving an auxiliary benefit may lose SSI or have their Medicaid reduced. However, auxiliary benefits do not affect Medicare may be able to access—a spouse or child on your SSDI record can enroll in Medicare at 65 regardless of their benefit amount.

If a family member is also receiving benefits on their own work record (for example, a spouse with their own SSDI or retirement benefit), SSA will pay them whichever is higher, not both. This is called the "deemed filing" rule, though it has exceptions for people born before 1954. A family member should contact SSA to understand how their own benefit and their auxiliary benefit interact.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my ex-spouse collect if we were married less than 10 years?

No. The marriage must have lasted at least 10 years for an ex-spouse to collect auxiliary or survivor benefits on your record. If you were married for 9 years and 11 months, they do not may have access to. They can only collect on their own work record or on a later spouse's record if that marriage lasted 10 years.

Does my spouse's auxiliary benefit reduce my own SSDI payment?

No. Your own benefit never changes when family members claim. However, if the family maximum is reached, each family member's individual payment is reduced proportionally. Your benefit stays the same, but your spouse's and children's shares of the family maximum shrink.

What happens to my children's benefits if I go back to work and lose SSDI?

If you return to work and your SSDI ends, your children's auxiliary benefits also end. However, if you become disabled again within five years, you can restart SSDI without a new waiting period, and your children can resume collecting. If more than five years pass, you would need to file a new process.

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

Generally, yes, but with restrictions. A spouse or ex-spouse can collect outside the U.S. if they are at least 62 and the marriage lasted 10 years. Children can collect outside the U.S. if they are under 19 (or 23 if in school). However, some countries have agreements with the U.S. that limit payments. Contact SSA for details about your specific country.

If my child becomes disabled before age 22, do they collect for life?

Yes. A child who becomes disabled before age 22 can collect auxiliary benefits for life, even after they turn 19 or finish school. SSA must determine that the disability meets the same standard as SSDI—it must be expected to last at least 12 months or result in death. The benefit continues as long as the disability persists and they remain unmarried.