How soon can I file for child auxiliary benefits after my SS retirement application? Need timeline and steps

You don't need to wait for your own benefits to be approved! You can and SHOULD apply for auxiliary benefits for your child immediately. There's actually a potential benefit to filing her application within 6 months of your own application - it can help establish protective filing date considerations. You'll need: your daughter's birth certificate, your custody documentation (since mom isn't involved), your SS number, and possibly school records showing she lives with you. You can file online or call to schedule an appointment.

i got my benefits last yr and did my daughters right after mine got approved. honestly wasnt a problem. think its easier that way cuz then they have ur record all set up in system

I'm in almost the exact same situation! Just applied for retirement 3 weeks ago (I'm 63) and have a 14-year-old son. The SSA office told me I HAD to wait until my benefits were approved before they'd even accept his application. Now I'm worried we're missing out on something important. Has anyone actually successfully applied for a child's benefits before the parent's application was approved??

I'm an advocate who helps people navigate SSA benefits, and I want to clarify a few things: 1. You can file for your child's auxiliary benefits any time after you file your own claim - no need to wait for approval 2. There's a 6-month retroactivity window for filing dependent applications that relates to potential retroactive benefits 3. For a 12-year-old dependent, you'll need: birth certificate (certified copy is fine), your identification, proof of custody/living arrangement, and school records showing your address 4. File at the SSA office in person if possible - auxiliary applications for children are sometimes problematic online 5. If your retirement application gets denied for any reason, your daughter's application would also be denied since her eligibility stems from yours

My daughter got her benefits right away when I got my disability approved last year. The money really helps with her expenses. Good luck!

The SSA phone lines are absolutely IMPOSSIBLE to get through on these days! I spent 3 hours on hold trying to ask a similar question about my grandson's benefits and eventually got disconnected. Then tried again the next day and same thing happened. It's ridiculous we can't get basic information about our benefits! I discovered a service called Claimyr that got me through to an actual SSA agent in about 20 minutes instead of waiting for hours. It was totally worth it - check out their demo video at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. The agent I spoke with confirmed you can absolutely file for your child right away, doesn't matter if your own benefits are approved yet or not.

ssA is so confusing!!!!! I filed for my granson last year and they made me wait till my benefits got approved first. Now reading this I think they made a mistake and he missed out on 3 months payments!!!!! Who can i talk to about fixing this??

One other important thing: make sure you understand how your early retirement (at 62 instead of Full Retirement Age) impacts BOTH your benefit amount AND your daughter's. She'll receive approximately 50% of what your PRIMARY INSURANCE AMOUNT would be at Full Retirement Age (not 50% of your reduced early retirement amount), but it's also subject to the family maximum benefit calculation. This is a complex calculation, but very important to understand for your financial planning.

make sure u bring all ur documents for ur kid they r super picky and will make u come back if u forget anything

I'm getting so many conflicting answers from SSA about this same issue! Last week one rep told me to apply for my son right away, this week another one says I need to wait. Does anyone know if there's a specific regulation or rule I can reference when I talk to them?