Applying for Survivor Benefits from the SSA

     I am such an information nut so from time to time I will dish out some useful information so stop by and check that out.  Today I’m going to talk about “Can a child draw social security benefits from a deceased parent?” 

     The social security administration provides survivor benefits to the children of deceased parents who have paid social security taxes.  A child can receive Social Security benefits --- but not SSI benefits --- if a parent who paid Social Security tax has died. In this case, these benefits are known as survivor benefits. To be eligible to receive survivor benefits, your child must be younger than age 18 --- 19 if she's a full-time student. If your child is older than age 18, is unmarried and has a disability, she's also eligible to receive survivor benefits. Although SSI eligibility doesn't relate to a parent's death, if your child is receiving survivor benefits and is disabled, she may also be eligible to receive SSI benefits.

     The Social Security Administration provides two types of programs that pay disability benefits and that may produce some confusion. The Social Security Disability, or SSD, program pays benefits based on an individual work record and Social Security tax payment. SSI pays disability benefits to any eligible person with low income. Because SSD benefits draw funds from Social Security taxes, taxpayers and their families are eligible to receive benefits; SSI benefits also don't relate to Social Security tax payment, so these benefits aren't transferable. Survivor benefits are simply another name for Social Security benefits that draw funds from Social Security tax and are paid only to surviving family members of deceased individuals who have paid these taxes.

     For a child to be eligible to receive survivor benefits, the deceased parent must have worked long enough and paid Social Security tax for long enough before his death. The number of years a deceased worker must have worked for his family to qualify to receive survivor benefits depends upon the age at which he dies. Young workers are required to have fewer years of work. Generally, a worker requires no more than 10 years of work for his children to qualify to receive survivor benefits.

How to apply:

1. Read the eligibility requirements to determine if the child meets the requirements. The requirements are listed on the website of the Social Security Administration (SSA) . Unmarried children age 18 and younger (or age 19, if still in school) can receive benefits, as can a child of any age who was disabled before age 22.

2. Gather the documents necessary to support an application for survivors benefits. The documents are listed at the SSA website and include proof of death, Social Security numbers for the child and the deceased worker, birth certificate of the child, and the deceased worker's most recent W-2 form or federal self-employment tax return. The documents must be submitted in original or with a certification from the issuing agency.

3. Apply for benefits in person or by telephone. Complete the application with all relevant documents. Be sure to indicate that the child is also seeking the one-time death payment, which is $255 as of 2011.

     I really hope that this information is helpful to you and if you need any additional information or to file an application make an appointment with your local Social Security Office or call them and they can do an application by phone.  Just make sure you have all the necessary documentation.