Can my kids get Social Security benefits if I claim retirement at age 62 with children under 18?

Yes, when you claim Social Security retirement benefits, your minor children can receive dependent benefits until they turn 18 (or 19 if still in high school). Each child can receive up to 50% of your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), which is your full retirement age benefit amount. So based on your $1,900 FRA estimate, each child could receive up to $950 per month. However, there's an important consideration: the Family Maximum Benefit (FMB). There's a cap on the total amount your family can receive based on your record, usually 150-180% of your PIA. If the total benefits would exceed this maximum, each dependent's benefit gets reduced proportionally. Also important - your children can receive these benefits even though you're taking early retirement at 62, but your own benefit reduction for claiming early doesn't affect their benefit rate. Their benefits are based on your unreduced PIA.

my sister got benefits for her kids when she retired but they took FOREVER to process. like 5 months!!! make sure u apply for them right away when u do ur retirement application. good luck!!

This is called "child's benefits" and it's available for retirement, disability, OR survivor benefits. The rules are slightly different for each type. Since you're looking at retirement, here's what you need to know: - Your child must be unmarried and under 18 (or up to 19 if still in high school) - You'll need their birth certificates and Social Security numbers when you apply - Each child can get up to 50% of your full retirement age benefit - You MUST file for your own retirement benefits first before dependents can collect - Benefits continue until they turn 18 (or 19 if still in high school) But be aware - if your kids work, they'll be subject to the same earnings limit that affects you before full retirement age. For 2025, if they earn more than $22,450, they'll lose $1 in benefits for every $2 they earn above that limit.

Careful about the tax situation though!!! My husband retired early with a 16 yr old and our tax situation got messy FAST. The kid benefits pushed us into a higher bracket when combined with everything else. Might want to check with a tax person.

Does anyone know if private school tuition counts as an educational expense that can help with the child's benefits? My youngest is in a STEM academy that's quite expensive.

You should probably try to reach the SSA directly to discuss your specific situation. They can run calculations based on your actual earnings record to tell you exactly what your family would receive. Much more reliable than generalized advice here. I spent WEEKS trying to get through their 800 number until someone told me about Claimyr. It's a service that gets you through to a live SSA agent quickly. I used it when I had a similar question about dependent benefits. Check out their site at claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The agent I spoke with was super helpful and walked me through all the benefit possibilities for my family. Totally worth it versus waiting endlessly on hold.

Will your ex get half of ur retirement too? I'm confused because when my cousin retired, his ex-wife got benefits AND his kids got benefits but I think they were divorced. Just wondering how this all works for blended families.

my neighbor said her granddaughter got benefits when her son claimed SS but when she turned 16 and got a part time job the benefits stopped?? is that right??

Update: I went ahead and applied online for my retirement and children's benefits last week. The online system was pretty straightforward for my part, but I had to call the SSA for the children's portion. After getting quick help from that Claimyr service someone mentioned (which actually did work!), I spoke with an agent who confirmed both kids qualify and helped me complete their applications. The agent said each child would get approximately $950/month until they turn 18 (or graduate high school), and my benefit would be about $1,330. Combined, our family will receive around $3,230 monthly, which is well under the family maximum limit for my situation. The agent also emphasized I needed to function as the "representative payee" for the children's benefits since they're minors, meaning I'll need to complete an annual accounting form showing how I used their benefits for their care. Thanks everyone for your helpful advice! This will make a huge difference for our family finances.

Congratulations Sofia! That's wonderful news and such a relief to have everything sorted out. Your situation really highlights how valuable these child benefits can be for families with older parents. $3,230 monthly will definitely help with all those teenage expenses - sports, activities, college prep, and everything else that comes with raising two teens. I'm curious about the timeline - how long did they say it would take for the benefits to actually start? And did you have to provide birth certificates and Social Security cards for both kids during the application process? I'm in a similar situation (turning 62 soon with a 15-year-old) and want to make sure I have all the paperwork ready when I apply. Thanks for sharing your experience - it's really helpful to hear a real success story!

This is such helpful information! As someone who's also considering early retirement with teenage kids, I really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences. One thing I'm wondering about - does the timing of when you apply matter? Like if Sofia applies in April when she turns 62, do the kids' benefits start immediately, or do they have to wait until her first Social Security payment comes through? Also, I'm curious about the representative payee annual reporting - how detailed does that need to be? Do you need to account for every dollar, or is it more general categories like "housing, food, clothing" etc.? Thanks Sofia for the update and congrats on getting everything sorted out! Your experience gives me confidence that this process is manageable.

This thread has been incredibly informative! I'm in a similar boat - turning 62 in a few months with a 15-year-old still at home. Sofia, thank you so much for sharing your journey and the update on how everything worked out. The $3,230 monthly total for your family is substantial and really shows how these benefits can make a meaningful difference. A couple of questions for anyone who might know: If my child is currently 15 and I retire at 62, they'd receive benefits for about 3 years until they turn 18. But what happens if they graduate high school early? Do the benefits stop at graduation even if they're not yet 18? And conversely, if they're still in high school when they turn 18, do benefits continue until they graduate or their 19th birthday? Also wondering about the college transition - I know the benefits stop when they turn 18 (or 19 if still in high school), but is there any provision for college students, or does Social Security not provide any support for higher education expenses? Thanks again to everyone who's shared their experiences - this community has been so helpful in understanding these complex benefit rules!

This has been such an educational thread! As someone who works in financial planning, I see families struggle with early retirement decisions all the time, especially when they have dependent children. Sofia's situation really highlights an important benefit that many people don't know about. One additional consideration I'd mention - since you're getting substantial monthly benefits now ($3,230 total), you might want to think about setting up separate savings accounts for each child's portion. Even though the money comes to you as representative payee, keeping their benefits somewhat separate can help with that annual reporting and also ensures you're building college funds for them. Also, for anyone else considering this path: remember that taking Social Security at 62 is permanent - your benefit will remain at that reduced level even after you reach full retirement age. But the family benefits Sofia is receiving really do help offset that reduction significantly. In her case, the family is receiving about 70% more than her individual reduced benefit would have been alone. Great job navigating the system and thanks for sharing your experience - it's going to help so many other families in similar situations!

Yes, there are several other family situations where dependent benefits can apply! Since you asked about disabled adult children and grandchildren, here are the key scenarios: **Disabled Adult Children:** If your child became disabled before age 22, they can receive benefits on your record for life, even as adults. The disability must have started before their 22nd birthday, but they can claim these benefits when you retire, become disabled, or pass away. This is a huge benefit that many families don't know about. **Grandchildren:** If you're the legal guardian of your grandchildren (through court appointment, not just informal care), they can qualify for benefits on your record just like your own children would. They need to be under 18 (or 19 if in high school) and you must have legal custody. **Spouse Benefits:** Your spouse can also receive benefits at age 62 or earlier if they're caring for your child under 16 or a disabled child receiving benefits on your record. The Family Maximum Benefit still applies to all these situations, but it shows how Social Security really is designed to support entire families, not just individual workers. Sofia's case is a great example, but there are definitely other family structures that can benefit significantly from understanding these rules. It's worth noting that stepchildren can also qualify if they lived with you for at least one year and you provided at least half their support.

What an amazing thread! As someone who's been lurking here for a while but never posted, I had to jump in after reading Sofia's journey from initial question to successful application. This is exactly the kind of real-world information that makes this community so valuable. I'm 60 with a 13-year-old daughter, so I have about 2 years to make this same decision. Reading through everyone's experiences and advice has been incredibly enlightening. The fact that Sofia's family went from a potential $1,330 individual benefit to $3,230 total monthly income really shows how much these child benefits can change the retirement equation. A few things that stood out to me from this discussion: - The importance of applying for everything at once to avoid delays - Having all documents ready (birth certificates, Social Security cards) - The representative payee responsibilities aren't too burdensome - Benefits are based on your full retirement age amount, not your reduced early retirement amount - The Claimyr service seems to be a real time-saver for getting through to SSA Thank you Sofia for sharing your complete experience, and thanks to everyone else who contributed their knowledge. This thread is going to help so many families navigate this process. I'll definitely be referring back to it when my time comes!

This entire thread has been absolutely invaluable! As someone who's 61 and has been stressing about early retirement with a 17-year-old at home, reading Sofia's complete journey from question to successful application has given me so much confidence. The breakdown of numbers is particularly helpful - going from $1,330 individual benefit to $3,230 total family income completely changes the financial picture. I've been hesitant about taking early retirement because of the reduction, but seeing how the child benefits can more than make up for that difference is eye-opening. I'm definitely going to start preparing now by gathering birth certificates and setting up my online Social Security account. The tip about Claimyr for getting through to an actual SSA agent quickly is gold - I've been dreading those phone calls but knowing there's a way to avoid the endless hold times makes the whole process seem more manageable. One question I haven't seen addressed - if my son turns 18 during his senior year of high school, do his benefits continue through graduation even if he's already 18? From what I've read here, it sounds like they do continue until graduation or age 19, whichever comes first, but I want to make sure I understand correctly. Thank you Sofia and everyone else for sharing such detailed experiences and advice. This community is amazing!

This has been such an incredibly educational thread to follow! As someone who's new to this community and just starting to think about retirement planning, I had no idea that Social Security offered these kinds of family benefits. Sofia's journey from initial confusion to successfully securing $3,230 monthly for her family is really inspiring and shows how much these benefits can impact retirement decisions. What strikes me most is how the child benefits are calculated based on the full retirement age amount rather than the reduced early retirement benefit - that seems like such an important detail that could really change the math for families with minor children. The fact that each child can get up to 50% of the unreduced benefit amount while the parent takes early retirement is remarkable. I'm curious about one aspect that I don't think was fully covered - are there any income or asset limits that would disqualify families from receiving these child benefits? Like if the retiring parent has significant other retirement savings or investment income, does that affect the children's eligibility? Or are these benefits available regardless of other family financial resources? Also, for families considering this path, it seems like timing could be really important. If you're close to 62 and have teenage children, it might be worth running the numbers to see how the family maximum benefit works out compared to waiting for full retirement age. Thanks to everyone who contributed to this discussion - the real-world experiences and detailed explanations have been incredibly valuable!

This thread has been absolutely amazing to read through! As someone who's 63 and thought I'd missed the boat on family benefits since I waited until full retirement age, I'm realizing there might still be opportunities I haven't considered. Sofia, congratulations on navigating the system so successfully and thank you for sharing every step of your journey. Your detailed updates from initial question to final approval have created such a valuable resource for this community. I'm particularly impressed by how thoroughly everyone has covered the various family benefit scenarios - from basic child benefits to disabled adult children to grandparent situations. The level of knowledge sharing here really demonstrates the power of community support when dealing with complex government programs. One thing I'd love to add for future readers: even if you're past the early retirement decision point, it's still worth understanding these rules if you have younger relatives or are advising others. I had no idea about the disabled adult child benefits (must be disabled before 22 but can claim when parent retires) or the grandparent guardianship scenarios. This information could be life-changing for families who don't realize these options exist. The practical tips shared here - especially about document preparation, the Claimyr service for getting through to SSA, and the representative payee responsibilities - are pure gold. This is exactly the kind of real-world guidance that makes navigating government benefits so much more manageable. Thanks to everyone who contributed their experiences and expertise. This thread should definitely be bookmarked as a comprehensive resource on Social Security family benefits!

What an incredible thread to read through! As someone who's been quietly following this community for months, I had to finally create an account and jump in after seeing Sofia's complete journey from initial question to successful application. I'm 59 with a 12-year-old son, so this information is absolutely crucial for my retirement planning. The fact that Sofia's family went from a potential $1,330 individual benefit to $3,230 total monthly income is just mind-blowing - it completely reframes the early retirement decision when you have minor children. A few key takeaways that really stood out to me: - Child benefits are based on your FULL retirement age amount, not your reduced early benefit - The Family Maximum Benefit usually allows for substantial total family income - Document preparation is crucial (birth certificates, SSA cards) - The representative payee annual reporting seems very manageable - Claimyr appears to be a game-changer for actually reaching SSA agents Sofia, thank you for being so generous with sharing every detail of your experience. Your transparency about the application process, timeline, and even the specific dollar amounts has created an incredibly valuable roadmap for families in similar situations. I'm definitely going to start preparing now by gathering documents and setting up my online SSA account. Having 3 years to plan gives me time to really optimize this decision. The math is so different when you factor in these family benefits - waiting until 67 for full retirement might actually cost our family tens of thousands in missed child benefits. This community is absolutely amazing for providing this level of detailed, real-world guidance!

This entire discussion has been absolutely fascinating to follow! As someone who's 58 with a 14-year-old daughter, I've been wrestling with the early retirement decision for months. Sofia's journey from initial uncertainty to securing $3,230 monthly for her family has completely changed how I'm thinking about this. What really hit me was the math - going from $1,330 individual benefit to over $3,200 in total family income makes early retirement at 62 not just viable, but potentially the smartest financial move when you have qualifying children. I've been so focused on the "penalty" of taking benefits early that I never considered how child benefits could more than offset that reduction. The practical advice shared here has been invaluable too. I'm definitely going to start gathering birth certificates and Social Security cards now, and I'll be using that Claimyr service when it's time to call SSA. The tip about applying for everything at once to avoid processing delays is something I never would have thought of. One question for anyone who might know - if my daughter is involved in expensive extracurricular activities (competitive dance, which runs about $8,000/year), would that count as an appropriate use of her benefit funds for the representative payee reporting? I want to make sure I understand what types of expenses are considered acceptable. Thanks Sofia and everyone else for creating such an incredibly helpful resource. This thread has given me the confidence to seriously consider early retirement knowing that my daughter and I could both benefit significantly from these programs!

This thread has been absolutely incredible to read through! As a newcomer to this community, I'm amazed by the depth of knowledge and real-world experience everyone has shared. Sofia's complete journey from initial question to successful application has created such a valuable resource for families considering early retirement with minor children. I'm 61 with a 16-year-old still at home, and reading about how Sofia's family went from a potential $1,330 individual benefit to $3,230 total monthly income has completely shifted my perspective on early retirement timing. I had been leaning toward waiting until full retirement age, but the math is so different when you factor in these child benefits that could be lost by waiting. The practical advice shared here is pure gold - especially the tips about document preparation, the Claimyr service for reaching SSA agents, and understanding the representative payee responsibilities. I had no idea that child benefits are calculated based on your full retirement age amount rather than your reduced early benefit amount. That detail alone makes such a huge difference in the decision-making process. One thing I'm curious about - for those who have gone through this process, how far in advance should I start gathering documents and preparing for the application? My son will still be 18 when I turn 62, but he'll likely still be finishing high school, so timing seems important to make sure we don't miss any eligibility windows. Thank you Sofia and everyone else for sharing such detailed experiences. This community support makes navigating these complex benefit programs so much more manageable!