Social Security children's benefits for non-custodial parent - who gets the money?

The additional money goes to the custodial parent as your child's representative payee. Your ex will receive the payment on behalf of your child since she has primary custody. This doesn't reduce your benefit amount at all - it's an additional benefit your child is entitled to because you're receiving Social Security retirement. Your child can receive up to 50% of your full retirement benefit amount (not your reduced amount), but there's a family maximum that might come into play if there are other dependents claiming on your record. The child's benefit doesn't affect your payment amount whatsoever.

my kid got benefits when i retired and yeah the money goes to whoever has custody. its bc the money is FOR THE KID not for you. the ssa doesnt care about your child support situation thats a seperate thing with the courts

THIS IS WHY THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN!! I went through EXACTLY this garbage. My ex got the kids' benefits AND I still had to pay full child support. Had to fight it in court for MONTHS to get it adjusted. SSA doesn't automatically tell child support enforcement about these benefits - they operate in completely different systems!!

To clarify some confusion here: In many states, your child support obligation CAN be reduced by the amount of Social Security benefits your child receives due to your retirement. However, this isn't automatic - you need to petition the family court that handles your child support order. The laws vary by state, but most courts will consider the Social Security benefits as satisfying part of your support obligation. The process typically involves: 1. Getting documentation from SSA showing the benefit amount your child receives 2. Filing a motion to modify child support with your family court 3. Attending a hearing where the judge will determine the new support amount It's important to do this promptly after benefits begin - courts generally won't retroactively reduce support for periods before you filed your motion.

My neighbor just went thru this. His son got almost $800 from social security when he retired but the court only lowered his child support by like half that amount. Judge said something about the kid's "standard of living" should improve when parent retires? Didn't make sense to me but that's what happened

I've been trying to get through to SSA for 3 weeks about this exact situation!!! They keep disconnecting me after I wait on hold for an hour. So frustrating when you're trying to plan your retirement and can't get simple answers about how things work.

one thing nobody mentioned yet is that the kids benifit only lasts until they turn 18 (or 19 if still in highschool). so dependin how old ur kid is it might not be for very long anyway

One more important thing to consider: The benefit your child can receive is based on your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), which is what you would receive at your Full Retirement Age. Since you're claiming at 62, your personal benefit is reduced, but your child still gets up to 50% of your FULL benefit amount. For example, if your full retirement age benefit would be $2,000, but you're taking a reduced benefit of $1,400 at age 62, your child could still receive up to $1,000 (50% of $2,000), subject to family maximum limits. This is why it's especially important to apply for the child's benefit when you retire - they may receive more than you think.

After you file for your retirement benefits, you'll need to apply separately for your child's benefits - it's not automatic! In my experience, the best approach is to: 1. Gather your child's birth certificate and Social Security card 2. Get documentation showing custody arrangement (court order) 3. Call SSA and make an appointment specifically for applying for child's benefits 4. At the appointment, make sure they process both your retirement AND the child's benefit Doing this correctly from the start saved me a lot of headaches later. And yes, as others mentioned, once benefits start, take that documentation to family court to adjust your support obligation.

Just want to add from my own experience - when you do get your child support modified, make sure to keep detailed records of everything. I got my support reduced from $580 to $125 after my daughter started receiving $455/month in Social Security benefits, but it took 6 months for the court order to go through. During that time I kept paying the full amount and the court did adjust it retroactively back to my filing date, so I got a nice refund check. But I've heard horror stories of people who stopped paying early and got hit with contempt charges even though they eventually won their modification case. Also, your ex might not be thrilled about this since it could reduce the total money coming in for your child's expenses, so be prepared for some pushback. But legally you're entitled to the credit for these benefits in most states.

I'm going through this exact situation right now! My retirement benefits just started last month and I'm in the process of applying for my 16-year-old daughter's benefits. From what I've learned talking to SSA, here's what you need to know: 1. The child's benefit does go to whoever has custody (your ex in this case) as the "representative payee" 2. The benefit amount is up to 50% of YOUR full retirement benefit (not your reduced amount), so it could be substantial 3. You absolutely can get your child support reduced, but you have to petition the court - it's not automatic 4. Keep paying your current support amount until the court officially modifies it I'm actually waiting for my court date next month to get my support modified. My daughter's Social Security benefit is $847/month and my current support obligation is $720, so I'm hoping to get it reduced to zero or close to it. The frustrating part is that SSA and child support enforcement don't talk to each other at all, so you have to be proactive about getting the modification. But from everything I've researched and heard from others, most judges will credit you dollar-for-dollar for the SS benefits. Good luck with your retirement planning! Even with the hassle, this could really help your monthly budget once you get it sorted out.

I went through this same process two years ago when I retired at 62. Here's what actually happened in my case: My son was 15 and living with my ex-wife. When I applied for retirement benefits, I also applied for his dependent benefits at the same SSA appointment. The benefits started the month after my retirement benefits began, and yes, the money goes directly to the custodial parent (my ex) as the child's representative payee. The key thing that saved me financially was filing for child support modification immediately after the benefits started. In my state (Ohio), the court reduced my support obligation dollar-for-dollar by the amount of the Social Security benefit. My son was getting $743/month from SSA, and my child support was $580/month, so my obligation went to zero and my ex actually ended up with MORE money for our son's expenses. The whole court process took about 3 months, but they made it retroactive to my filing date. I kept paying the full support amount during that time and got a refund check later. Pro tip: Apply for your child's benefits at the same appointment when you file for retirement. Bring birth certificate, Social Security card, and your divorce decree. SSA will handle setting up your ex as the representative payee automatically once they verify custody. Then immediately start gathering documentation to file for support modification - don't wait! This actually improved my financial situation significantly. Instead of paying $580/month in support, I now pay nothing and my son gets $743/month. Win-win for everyone.

I just went through this process last year and wanted to share some additional insights that might help with your planning. When I retired at 62, my 13-year-old daughter started receiving $892/month in Social Security benefits that went directly to my ex-wife as the representative payee. The process was pretty straightforward - I applied for both my retirement and my daughter's benefits in the same SSA appointment, which definitely streamlined things. What really helped was that I had already researched my state's child support modification laws beforehand, so I knew exactly what to expect. Here's something important that hasn't been mentioned yet: make sure you get a copy of the official SSA award letter showing your child's benefit amount. This is crucial documentation for your court filing. In my case, the court reduced my $750/month support obligation to $0 since my daughter's SS benefit exceeded it. One thing that surprised me was how cooperative my ex actually was about the whole thing. I was worried she'd fight the modification, but when she realized our daughter was getting more money overall than my previous support payments, she didn't contest it. The court process took about 4 months total, but it was worth every day of waiting. The financial impact has been huge - I went from paying $750/month to $0, which really helped offset the reduction in my retirement benefits from claiming early. Definitely pursue this if you're in a similar situation!

I'm in a very similar situation and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm 61 and planning to retire next year with a 16-year-old daughter who lives with my ex. Reading through everyone's experiences gives me a much clearer picture of what to expect. A few things I've learned from this discussion that I want to highlight for anyone else in this situation: 1. The child's SS benefit is based on your FULL retirement age benefit amount, not your reduced early retirement amount - this could mean significantly more money than you might expect 2. You need to apply for the child's benefits separately at SSA - it's not automatic when you retire 3. The money goes to the custodial parent, but you can (and should) petition family court to reduce your child support obligation accordingly 4. Keep paying your current support amount until the court officially modifies it, even though it might take several months One question I haven't seen addressed: for those of you who successfully got your support modified, did the court consider any other factors besides just the SS benefit amount? Like the child's other needs or expenses? I'm wondering if there's any risk the judge might not give a full dollar-for-dollar credit. Also, @Andre Laurent and @Caden Nguyen - your success stories where you ended up paying $0 in support while your kids got more money overall are really encouraging. It sounds like this could actually be a win-win situation if handled correctly. Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences here. This is exactly the kind of practical information you can't get from SSA's website or generic legal advice sites!

As someone who works in family law, I want to add some important legal context to this excellent discussion. While most of the advice here is spot-on, there are a few nuances worth mentioning: First, the "dollar-for-dollar" credit isn't guaranteed in all states. Some jurisdictions use what's called the "income shares" model where they look at both parents' total income (including SS benefits) and recalculate support accordingly. This might result in some reduction, but not necessarily a full offset. Second, timing is crucial for the modification filing. In most states, you cannot get retroactive relief beyond your filing date, so file your motion as soon as the child's benefits begin. Don't wait months thinking about it - every month you delay is money you can't get back. Third, some courts require you to show a "substantial change in circumstances" (usually 15-20% change in support obligation) before they'll modify an order. Since SS benefits are often substantial, this usually isn't an issue, but it's worth knowing. Finally, keep detailed records of everything - benefit award letters, payment dates, court filings, etc. If your ex disputes anything later, documentation is your best friend. The success stories shared here are encouraging, but remember that every state and every case is different. When in doubt, consult with a local family law attorney who knows your jurisdiction's specific rules.