SSDI Benefits for Children and Spouses in Fulton County

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits can be life-changing for individuals with a qualifying work history who are no longer able to maintain gainful employment. However, an individual’s benefits might not be enough to support an entire family.

When you qualify for SSDI benefits, there could also be dependent benefits available to close family members who relied on your income before you became disabled. With the assistance of a seasoned disability representative, you may be able to obtain SSDI benefits for your children and spouse in Fulton County.

Qualifying for Dependent Benefits

Benefits are only available for dependents of a disabled person who qualifies for SSDI. In other words, if you qualify for and receive benefits through SSDI, dependent benefits may also be an option. Additionally, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) does not provide benefits for dependents, making SSDI the only option for many families to make up for lost income.

Family Members Entitled to Benefits

It’s worth noting that these benefits are not available to every member of your family. Dependent SSDI benefits may only be awarded to your spouse, former spouse, and children. The specific benefits available to a family will depend on a variety of factors regarding their living arrangements and health.

Benefits for Spouses

There are strict limits on when SSDI benefits are payable to a disabled person’s spouse. The most important limitation is based on the spouse’s age. To obtain benefits, this person must be 62 years of age or older.

However, this age limit can be eliminated in cases where the spouse is caring for the disabled person’s child who is either disabled or under the age of 16. In cases where a spouse is caring for a child, SSDI benefits will stop when the child reaches 16, unless the spouse is aged 62 or older at that time.

In some cases, a spouse may be entitled to their own Social Security benefits at the same time as they are eligible for dependent SSDI compensation. If a spouse is entitled to an amount of dependent benefits that is more than their own compensation, they will receive the higher of the two amounts.

SSDI dependent benefits could be available to ex-spouses as well. This is true even if the disabled recipient has since remarried. The former spouse must be unmarried, and their marriage to the recipient must have lasted at least 10 years to receive benefits. This amount will not impact the benefits available to a recipient’s current spouse.

Benefits for Dependent Children

When you qualify for SSDI benefits, your children may qualify as well. Like with spouses, there are limitations on when a child could be entitled to these benefits. Dependent SSDI benefits can apply to biological, step, or adopted children, but they must be unmarried. Additionally, the child must be either under the age of 18, between 18 and 19 and a full-time student, or 18 or older with a disability that developed before age 22.

Talk to a Fulton County Attorney about SSDI Benefits for Children and Spouses

Determining the specific benefits available to children or spouses through SSDI is a complex process. In fact, most claims are denied.

An experienced and compassionate Fulton County advocate at our firm can offer insight on how to obtain SSDI benefits for your children and spouse. To learn more, schedule an initial consultation as soon as possible.