Got SSA letter about benefits for my non-existent minor children - is this normal?
I finally reached full retirement age and applied for my Social Security retirement benefits last month. Everything seemed to be going fine until yesterday when I got this strange letter from SSA saying my "children may be eligible for benefits" and that I need to apply for them. The thing is, I don't have any minor children! My kids are all in their 30s with families of their own. Is this just some kind of form letter everyone gets? Do I need to respond to this or can I ignore it? I'm worried if I don't reply somehow it might delay my own benefits from being processed properly. Has anyone else gotten this kind of notice?
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Connor O'Neill
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.
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Zainab Ismail
•Oh thank goodness! I was stressing about this all night. So there's nothing I need to do? No form to return saying I don't have eligible children?
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QuantumQuester
i got the same letter when i filed last year dont worry about it
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Yara Nassar
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.
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Zainab Ismail
•Thank you for the detailed explanation! That makes me feel better. I was worried I might have to call them to clarify, and we all know how impossible it is to get through to an actual person at SSA these days.
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Keisha Williams
•Actually, if you ever DO need to reach SSA by phone without waiting hours, I recently discovered a service called Claimyr that connects you to SSA without the wait. I was skeptical but it worked perfectly when I needed to sort out an issue with my Medicare enrollment. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU or just go to claimyr.com. Definitely worth it for peace of mind when you actually need to talk to someone.
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Paolo Ricci
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.
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Amina Toure
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!!!!
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Connor O'Neill
•Actually, the SSA doesn't have automatic access to your tax records to check dependents - there are privacy laws that prevent that kind of information sharing between agencies. And even if they did, tax dependents aren't exactly the same as who might qualify for Social Security benefits on your record.
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Oliver Zimmermann
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
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Yara Nassar
•Yes, that's correct. If you have legal custody or guardianship of grandchildren, they may be eligible for benefits on your record. That would be another reason the SSA sends these notices - they don't know your exact family situation.
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QuantumQuester
my sister got this letter too and she doesnt even have kids lol
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Connor O'Neill
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.
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Zainab Ismail
•That's good to know, but thankfully all my children are healthy and employed. I appreciate everyone's help! My retirement benefits are actually showing up in my bank account now, so I guess ignoring that letter didn't cause any problems.
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