Can anyone in my family receive my Social Security disability benefits?

Living with a disability can be difficult, especially when you have people who rely on you for income. People collecting disability benefits who have multiple dependents-such as spouses, children, grandchildren or adoptive children-often have difficulty making ends meet.

Under the Social Security disability program, your wife, husband and children may be eligible to receive your benefits. Depending on the number of family members, your dependents could each receive up to 50 percent of your monthly benefit.

So which people in your household qualify for your Social Security disability benefits?

• Your spouse. If your wife or husband is over the age of 62, or is currently caring for one of your children under the age of 16, they may collect benefits as supplemental income.
• Your former spouse. If a former spouse was married to you for 10 years prior to the divorce and is over the age of 62, he or she may be qualified to receive your benefits. This is an additional payment, and will not be subtracted from the benefits that your current family collects.
• Underage children. Special considerations are made for those who support children while disabled. These can include biological, adopted or step-children, and may include grandchildren in some cases.
• Children over 18. Unmarried children over 18 can receive a portion of benefits if they are full-time students, or have suffered a disability of their own.

While children may continue to receive benefits until they come of age, the rules for spouses of disabled Florida residents are little more complicated:

• The SSA will pay any retirement benefits before paying disability. If your spouse starts to collect retirement through Social Security, their benefit amount under your disability may be reduced.
• If your spouse receives Social Security benefits under their own name, the SSA will combine all eligible benefits so that he or she will receive the highest amount they are entitled to.
• Your spouse’s payments may be affected if he or she collects a pension from another organization, such as a government work or a job in a foreign country.

We know you want to receive the maximum amount of help for your family-but all the rules and exceptions make it difficult to know what that amount could be. The advice of a Palm Beach Social Security disability lawyer can be invaluable in cutting through the red tape. Call Fetterman & Associates today at (866) 865-1244 to get the total disability compensation your family deserves.