Many persons who apply for Social Security Disability payments believe that the Social Security Administration will only provide benefits to handicapped workers. This is not always the case. In some instances, a disabled worker’s family members, such as dependent children and spouse, may also be eligible for payments. Auxiliary benefits are those paid to family members.
It is critical to emphasize that auxiliary benefits are available only to family members of disabled employees who are eligible for SSDI. The Social Security Administration does not provide auxiliary payments to family members of persons who receive SSI (Supplemental Security Income).
How much money your family members receive each month in the form of SSDI auxiliary benefits or your Monthly Social Security Benefit Amount is determined by the amount of taxes you paid into the Social Security system while working.
If your spouse or dependent children wish to be considered for auxiliary benefits while you are receiving Social Security Disability Income, certain conditions must be completed. You may include them in your claim at the first stages of the application procedure or even after the conclusion of your Social Security disability proceedings.
To qualify for supplementary benefits, your spouse must be under the age of 62 and be the joint caregiver of children you and your spouse share, who must be under the age of 16. Provided you and your spouse divorce, your spouse may still be eligible for auxiliary SSDI benefits if you were married for at least ten years before to the divorce.
If your dependent children wish to be eligible for auxiliary benefits, they must be under the age of 18, enrolled in school full time, and unmarried. If the child is not a dependent, is over the age of 18, or is not enrolled in school, he or she will be ineligible for SSDI auxiliary benefits.