Can my child get Social Security benefits if only one parent is collecting SS?

Your children can absolutely receive benefits based on just your record alone! When you start collecting your retirement benefits, unmarried children under 18 (or up to 19 if still in high school) can receive up to 50% of your full retirement amount. Your wife doesn't need to be collecting for the kids to qualify. Just make sure when you apply for your own benefits, you also apply for the children at the same time - tell SSA you have minor children so they can process family benefits.

To clarify for everyone - there are different rules depending on the type of benefit. For retirement benefits (which is what the original poster is asking about), minor children CAN receive benefits when a parent retires and starts collecting Social Security. For disability benefits, the same is true. For adult children to qualify, they must have become disabled before age 22. But for minor children under 18, they qualify under either parent's record when that parent starts collecting retirement or disability benefits.

yep my kids got benefits when i retired. wife wasnt old enough for SS but kids still got their checks. they stop at 18 tho so enjoy while it lasts lol

Yes, there is a family maximum benefit (FMB) that limits the total amount payable to a family on one worker's record. It's typically 150-180% of the worker's primary insurance amount (PIA). The actual calculation is complex, but essentially if you have multiple dependents (spouse and/or children) collecting on your record, the total family benefit may be capped. Each dependent might receive less than the full 50% they would otherwise qualify for if the total would exceed the maximum. This is important to factor into your retirement planning.

I'm going through this exact process right now. Been trying to get through to SSA for two weeks to set up the children's benefits after I started my retirement. Their phone lines are ALWAYS busy and I can't get an appointment at my local office for 2 months! Anyone know a faster way to reach someone? My kids' benefits are just sitting there not being processed...

Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! This clears up a lot of my confusion. I'll definitely apply for the kids when I file for my own benefits. And sounds like I need to research that family maximum benefit more to get a realistic estimate of what they might receive.

Just wanted to add that the money for the kids goes to YOU as the parent/guardian until they turn 18, not directly to them. The SSA considers you the "representative payee" and you're supposed to use the money for their benefit. My sister-in-law didn't realize this and was surprised when the checks came in her name.

I wish I'd known about all this when my husband retired!!! Nobody at Social Security told us our daughter could get benefits and now shes already 19 so we missed out on like 4 years of payments we could have had!!! Do they ever give you retroactive benefits if you didn't know you qualified??

When I was helping my dad with his retirement paperwork last year, the SSA representative specifically asked if he had any minor children (he doesn't). So they do sometimes ask, but I agree they should make this clearer on their websites and publications. Too many families miss out on benefits they're entitled to simply because they don't know to ask.

This is such valuable information for families! I'm in a similar situation - my husband is planning to retire next year and we have a 14-year-old. I had no idea the children could get benefits even if I'm not collecting yet. One thing I'm wondering about - do the kids need to provide any special documentation when you apply for their benefits, like birth certificates or school enrollment records? And does it matter if they live with both parents or if there's a custody arrangement involved? Want to make sure I have everything ready when the time comes!

I just went through this process myself about 6 months ago when I retired early at 62. My twins were 16 at the time and I was worried about the same thing since my spouse won't be eligible for another 5 years. The good news is that your kids absolutely CAN get benefits based on just your record! When I filed for my retirement benefits, I made sure to mention I had minor children during the application process. The SSA representative walked me through everything and set up their benefits at the same time. Each of my kids now receives about 40% of my benefit amount (it would have been 50% each but the family maximum kicked in slightly). The whole process was actually smoother than I expected once I got the right person on the phone. My advice is to apply for everything together in one appointment - don't wait or try to add the kids later as a separate process. Also keep good records because you'll get annual forms to report how you're using the children's benefit money.