Can I get Social Security benefits for myself and children after husband's stroke and SSDI approval at 63?

Yes, both your children qualify for dependent benefits on your husband's SSDI record until they turn 18 (or 19 if still in high school). As his spouse caring for children under 16, you also qualify for benefits. Each person can receive up to 50% of your husband's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), but there's a family maximum limit (usually 150-180% of his PIA). Call SSA at 1-800-772-1213 to apply for these auxiliary benefits ASAP. Be prepared with birth certificates, marriage certificate, and your husband's SSN. The benefits can be substantial - potentially adding $1,000+ monthly to your household income.

my sister was in almost the same situation last yr. hubby had heart attack at 61, she got benefits for herself (42) and both kids. the family max thing is real tho - they didn't get the full 50% for each person, got reduced. still helped ALOT

I'm actually going through a similar situation. After weeks of trying to reach someone at SSA, I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a real person at Social Security in about 15 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Once I got through to SSA, I found out my kids were eligible for about $800 each per month and I qualified for benefits too as their caregiver. The whole family maximum came to about 175% of my husband's benefit. Definitely pursue this - it made a huge difference for us financially.

To add some important details: 1) The benefit for children of a disabled worker is 50% of the worker's PIA (your husband's calculated benefit amount) 2) For you as a spouse caring for children under 16, you can receive up to 50% of his PIA 3) The Family Maximum Benefit (FMB) will limit the total your family can receive to approximately 150-180% of your husband's benefit 4) Benefits for your 16-year-old will terminate at age 18 (or 19 if still in high school) 5) Your benefits as a caregiver will stop when your youngest turns 16 You should apply as soon as possible because benefits are only paid from the application date, not the date of disability. There's no retroactive payment before application for these auxiliary benefits.

SSA MAKES EVERYTHING SO CONFUSING ON PURPOSE!! I went through this last year and they kept giving me different answers every time I called. One agent said my kids qualified, next one said they didn't. KEEP CALLING until you get someone who knows what they're doing!!!

Quick question - does anyone know if the benefits for the kids are affected if I start working? I've been thinking about getting a part-time job since my husband's SSDI isn't enough, but I don't want to mess up my children's benefits.

When my husband got approved for SSDI, we were told the kids qualified but we had to apply separately. Noone told me I could get benefits too! Now its been 8 months and I'm worried I missed out on thousands of dollars. Can I still apply and get backpay?

I just wanted to update everyone - I was able to use Claimyr to get through to SSA yesterday and the agent was incredibly helpful! She confirmed both my children qualify for about $900 each per month, and I qualify for about $900 as their caregiver. However, due to the family maximum, we'll get a total of about $3,550 for all three of us combined (instead of $2,700). She also helped me schedule an appointment at our local office next week to complete the application since some documents need to be verified in person. Thank you all for your advice and support - this additional income will make a huge difference for us while I figure out our new normal.