Social Security auxiliary benefits for minor children and spouse caring for them - was caught by surprise

Yes, this is 100% correct and a great benefit many people don't know about! These are called "auxiliary benefits" and they can be quite substantial. Your children qualify for dependent benefits until age 18 (or 19 if still in high school). And you qualify for spouse's benefits as a caregiver until your youngest turns 16. Each eligible person can receive up to 50% of your husband's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), though there's a Family Maximum that caps the total. Make sure you complete that paperwork quickly - benefits can only be backdated 6 months!

Ditto what the other person said. We got the same thing when my husband retired last year. Our 16 yr old gets about $1100/month. I get benefits too as his mom but only until he turns 16 which is next month so im losing mine soon. The family maximum meant we didnt get the full 50% each but its still a huge help!!

For documentation, you'll need birth certificates for the children and your marriage certificate. You'll also need their Social Security cards and possibly school records. The paperwork they're sending is likely Form SSA-4-BK (Child's Application) and possibly SSA-5-F6 for you as caregiver. The family maximum is usually between 150-180% of your husband's PIA, so while each person could get 50% theoretically, it often gets reduced proportionally to stay under that family max limit.

@OP it took about 2 months total. They backdated our kids benefits to when my husband first applied for his SS. And yeah the family maximum was a surprise to us too but even with the reduction its pretty good money.

CAREFUL! Make sure you understand how this affects YOUR future benefits. If you take the caregiver benefit now, it doesn't stop you from getting your own retirement later based on your work record OR as a spouse (up to 50% of his). But if you've had good earnings you might get more on your own record when you hit retirement age. The big thing is this is FREE MONEY until your youngest turns 16, then it stops for you (but continues for the kids). TAKE IT!!

To answer your question about estimating future benefits, you can create a my Social Security account at ssa.gov and view your earnings record and benefit estimates. When you reach retirement age (67 for full benefits), you'll automatically receive whichever is higher - your own benefit based on your work record or the spousal benefit (up to 50% of your husband's). Taking the caregiver benefit now won't reduce either of those future options. The applications for children are typically processed within 30-60 days. Be aware that benefits paid to children or to you as a caregiver may potentially be subject to income tax if your overall income exceeds certain thresholds.

When I was trying to get these benefits set up for my kids after my early retirement, I spent WEEKS trying to get through to Social Security. Kept getting busy signals or disconnected after waiting for hours. Finally used a service called Claimyr that got me through to an agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. The website is claimyr.com. Totally worth it because I was able to get all my questions answered in one call and make sure the applications were properly submitted for my kids. Saved me so much frustration.

just want to add somethng nobody mentioned. the kids benefits go to the custodial parent or guardian. so if thats you then you'll receive the money on their behalf until they turn 18. SSA will ask where to deposit the funds. put it in a seperate account if you can so its easier to track what your using for them vs household expenses.

@OP Yes, there will be a gap. After your youngest turns 16, your caregiver benefits stop, and you won't be eligible again until either your own early retirement age (62) or your full retirement age. This is often called the "caregiver gap" and unfortunately, there's not much you can do about it unless you qualify for some other type of benefit. Many people return to work during this period if possible.

One more important thing: Benefits for children and caregivers may reduce the total family benefits due to the Family Maximum Benefit limit, but they do NOT reduce your husband's own retirement benefit. His check stays the same regardless of how many dependents receive benefits on his record. And yes, you'll have a gap between when your youngest turns 16 and when you can claim retirement benefits (earliest at 62).