Got SSA letter about benefits for my non-existent minor children - is this normal?

Yes, it's a standard notice that SSA sends out to almost everyone who applies for retirement benefits. They have no way of knowing whether you have minor children or not until you tell them, so they send these notices automatically. Your adult children aren't eligible (unless they have a disability that began before age 22), so you can safely ignore it. It won't affect your own benefit processing at all.

i got the same letter when i filed last year dont worry about it

This is actually a very common notice. Social Security sends it because there are several situations where children might be eligible for benefits on your record: 1. Minor children under 18 2. Children 18-19 who are full-time students in secondary education 3. Adult children who became disabled before age 22 Since the SSA doesn't automatically know your family situation, they send this notice to everyone. You don't need to respond if none of these situations apply to you. Your own benefits will process normally.

I got this too and actually had a 17-year old at home when I applied. The letter is correct - your children MIGHT be eligible. Mine was and got a nice little monthly benefit until he graduated high school. But if your kids are grown it doesn't apply to you.

SSA sends these notices to EVERYONE!!!! Its just another example of govt waste and inefficiency. They could easily check if you have minor children from your tax returns but instead they waste money sending these useless letters to seniors. Then they wonder why their phone lines are jammed with people calling to ask about letters that don't apply to them!!!!

wait i thought u could get SS for grandkids too if ur raising them? my neighbor gets something for her grandkids she has custody of

my sister got this letter too and she doesnt even have kids lol

One more thing I should mention - you said your kids are in their 30s, but if any of them became disabled before they turned 22, they could potentially qualify for benefits on your record as a Disabled Adult Child (DAC). This is a commonly overlooked benefit. If this doesn't apply to your situation, then no action is needed, but I wanted to mention it just in case.

Congratulations on getting your retirement benefits started! That's great news that everything went smoothly. This is exactly why this community is so helpful - it's reassuring to hear from others who've been through the same experience. For anyone else reading this thread, it's a perfect example of how these standard SSA notices can cause unnecessary worry, but they're really just part of their normal process to make sure no eligible family members miss out on benefits.

I'm glad to see this thread helped so many people! As someone who works with retirees regularly, I can confirm that these letters about potential children's benefits are sent to virtually everyone who applies for retirement benefits. The SSA has to cast a wide net because they don't want eligible family members to miss out on benefits they deserve. It's much easier for them to send the notice to everyone rather than try to determine each person's family situation beforehand. The key takeaway is that if you don't have qualifying children (minor, disabled before 22, or grandchildren in your care), you can safely ignore it. Your own benefits will process completely independently of this notice.

As a newcomer to this community, I really appreciate seeing such helpful discussions! I'm still a few years away from retirement age myself, but reading threads like this gives me confidence that there are knowledgeable people here willing to share their experiences. It's reassuring to know that when I do reach that milestone, I can expect these kinds of standard notices and won't need to panic about them. The fact that everyone took time to explain the process so thoroughly for Zainab really shows what a supportive community this is. Thank you all for creating such a welcoming environment for those of us navigating Social Security for the first time!

As someone new to this community, I just want to echo what others have said about how reassuring this discussion is! I'm approaching retirement age myself and had no idea that SSA sends these standard notices about children's benefits to everyone. Reading through all the experiences shared here really helps prepare me for what to expect when I apply for my own benefits. It's particularly helpful to see how Zainab's situation worked out perfectly fine despite the initial worry about the letter. This kind of real-world guidance from people who've actually been through the process is invaluable for those of us who haven't navigated Social Security yet. Thank you all for being so generous with your knowledge and experiences!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to thank everyone for this incredibly informative discussion! I'm still several years away from applying for Social Security myself, but reading through all these experiences has been so educational. It's reassuring to know that SSA sends these children's benefit notices as a standard practice to ensure no one misses out on potential benefits, rather than being something to worry about. The fact that Zainab's benefits processed smoothly despite initially being concerned about the letter really shows how routine this process is. I'm bookmarking this thread for future reference when I reach retirement age. It's wonderful to have found such a knowledgeable and supportive community where people generously share their real-world experiences with Social Security. Thank you all for making this seem much less daunting for those of us who haven't been through it yet!

As a newcomer to this community, I just wanted to say how grateful I am to have found this discussion! I'm currently helping my elderly father navigate his Social Security application, and we actually just received one of these exact letters about children's benefits. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly reassuring - we were initially confused about whether we needed to take any action, but now I understand it's just a standard notice that gets sent to everyone. It's so helpful to see real examples like Zainab's where everything worked out perfectly fine by simply ignoring the letter when it doesn't apply. This community seems like such a valuable resource for anyone dealing with Social Security questions. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and experiences so openly - it really makes a difference for those of us who are new to this process!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm so grateful to have found this discussion! I'm still about 3 years away from retirement but have been researching the Social Security process to prepare myself. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly educational - I had no idea that SSA sends these standard notices about children's benefits to virtually everyone who applies. It's such a relief to understand that these letters are just part of their routine process to ensure no eligible family members are overlooked, rather than something that requires immediate action or causes delays. Seeing how Zainab's benefits processed smoothly despite her initial concern about the letter really demonstrates how routine this is. This thread perfectly shows why I joined this community - having access to real-world experiences from people who've actually navigated these processes is invaluable for those of us preparing for retirement. Thank you all for creating such a welcoming and informative environment!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to thank everyone for such a thorough and reassuring discussion! I'm just beginning to think about my own retirement planning and had no idea that SSA sends these children's benefit notices as standard practice. Reading through all the experiences shared here - especially seeing how Zainab's situation resolved perfectly despite her initial worry - really helps demystify what can seem like an intimidating bureaucratic process. It's incredibly valuable to learn that these letters are sent broadly to ensure no eligible family members miss out on benefits, rather than being cause for concern. The detailed explanations from members like Connor, Yara, and others about the different scenarios where children might qualify (minors, disabled adult children, grandchildren in care) are so educational. This is exactly the kind of real-world guidance that makes this community such a fantastic resource for those of us preparing to navigate Social Security for the first time. Thank you all for being so generous with your knowledge and creating such a welcoming environment!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm so thankful to have stumbled upon this thread! I'm about 18 months away from applying for my Social Security benefits and honestly had never heard about these children's benefit notices before reading this discussion. It's such a relief to learn that they're completely routine and not something to stress about. Zainab, I'm so glad you asked this question because I'm sure I would have had the exact same reaction if I received one of those letters unexpectedly! The explanations from everyone about why SSA sends these notices broadly - to make sure no eligible family members are missed - makes complete sense now that it's been explained. This is exactly why I joined this community - getting real insights from people who've actually been through these processes is so much more valuable than trying to decipher official government websites. Thank you all for creating such a supportive space where newcomers like me can learn from your experiences and feel more confident about navigating Social Security!

As a newcomer to this community, I just wanted to add my voice to say how incredibly helpful this entire discussion has been! I'm currently about 2 years out from retirement and have been trying to educate myself about the Social Security process. Like so many others who've commented, I had absolutely no idea that SSA sends these children's benefit notices as standard practice. Reading through everyone's experiences - especially seeing how Zainab's initial worry turned into relief once she understood it was routine - has been so reassuring. The detailed explanations about the different scenarios where children might qualify (minors, students, disabled adult children, grandchildren in care) really help paint a complete picture of why SSA casts such a wide net with these notices. It's clear they'd rather send too many notices than risk someone missing benefits they're entitled to. This thread is a perfect example of why I'm so grateful to have found this community - having access to real experiences from people who've actually navigated these processes takes so much of the mystery and anxiety out of preparing for retirement. Thank you all for being so generous with your knowledge and creating such a welcoming space for those of us still learning our way around Social Security!