Social Security Child's Insurance Benefits
Program Description
These benefits are paid to a worker's biological child, adopted child or dependent stepchild. In some cases, the child also could be eligible for benefits based on his or her grandparents' or stepgrandparents' earnings.To receive this benefit, a child must have the following:
- Parent(s) who is disabled or retired and entitled to Social Security benefits, or
- Parent who died after having worked long enough in a job where he or she paid Social Security taxes.
The child must also meet the following requirements:
- Unmarried
- Younger than 18 years old, or
- Must be 18-19 years old and a full-time student (no higher than grade 12), or 18 years old or older and disabled (the disability must have started before age 22).