Can my teenage daughter get Social Security benefits when I reach FRA? Someone said she gets half my amount

Yes, this is absolutely true! When you claim Social Security retirement benefits, your unmarried children under 18 (or up to 19 if still in high school) can receive what's called "auxiliary benefits" based on your record. Each eligible child can receive up to 50% of your full retirement amount. Keep in mind there's something called the "family maximum benefit" that caps the total amount your family can receive on your record (typically between 150-180% of your full benefit). So if you have multiple children eligible, they might not each get the full 50%. My son received these benefits for almost 2 years after I started collecting at my FRA. The money goes directly to the parent/guardian until the child turns 18.

my sister got this for her kid last year but she had to fill out seperate paperwork it didnt just happen automatically. call ssa to ask about the child benefit application. good luck getting thru tho lol

I've been trying to figure this out too! But I'm confused about something - I thought children only got benefits if the parent was disabled or deceased? Are you SURE this works for regular retirement? Because my financial advisor never mentioned this and I feel like he would have if it was a thing??? My daughter is 16 and I'm turning 66 next month (my FRA) and this would be AMAZING if true but I don't want to get my hopes up. Has anyone actually gotten confirmation from SSA directly about this? I'm worried this might be misinformation.

If you're struggling to get through to SSA on the phone (which is incredibly common these days), I'd recommend using Claimyr. It saved me hours of frustration when setting up benefits for my grandson. Their service connects you directly to an SSA agent without the endless hold times. Just go to claimyr.com - they also have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU For this specific situation about children's benefits, you'll definitely want to speak directly with an agent rather than trying to figure it out online. There are nuances to the application process that aren't well explained on the SSA website.

I want to clarify something important here. While yes, your child can qualify for benefits on your retirement record, there's one critical detail: if YOU are collecting retirement benefits before your FRA with earnings over the limit, your benefits get reduced. However, if you wait until your FRA (which you mentioned you're doing), there's no earnings limit affecting either your benefit or your daughter's. The benefit for your daughter would be up to 50% of your PIA (Primary Insurance Amount), and she can collect until she graduates high school or turns 19, whichever comes first. The application must be done separately - it's not automatic when you apply for your own benefits. One more thing: the benefit payments for minor children go to the parent/guardian as the "representative payee" until the child turns 18.

MY NEIGHBOR TOLD ME THE SAME THING AND I THOUGHT SHE WAS CRAZY!!!! I applied when I turned 66 last year and now my 17 year old gets almost $1400 a month!!!! THE SSA PEOPLE NEVER TELL YOU ABOUT THIS STUFF ON PURPOSE I SWEAR. You have to specifically ask for the child benefit when you apply. Make sure you bring birth certificate to prove relationship.

I think there's some confusion in this thread. The benefit is real, but there are specific requirements. Your child can get benefits on your record when you start collecting retirement, but: 1. The child must be unmarried 2. Under 18 (or up to 19 if still in high school) 3. The benefit is up to 50% of your PIA 4. There's a family maximum benefit that might reduce the amount Also, just to clarify something I saw earlier - these payments continue even if the child is working. Their earnings don't affect eligibility like they would for SSI.

Ok I just got off the phone with SSA after waiting FOREVER and I want to share what I learned since we're in similar situations: 1. Yes, our teen children CAN get benefits when we claim retirement 2. It's NOT automatic - we need to apply for them specifically 3. They recommended applying for the child's benefits at the same time as your own 4. You'll need the child's birth certificate, SS card, and YOUR marriage certificate if your name on the birth certificate is different than your current name 5. Benefits can continue until 19 if still in high school 6. The money goes to YOU as representative payee until they turn 18 Hope this helps someone! The agent I spoke with actually seemed surprised I knew to ask about this benefit!