Social Security family maximum with 2 minor children - how are children's benefit amounts calculated?

Great question about family benefits! The "up to 50%" means each eligible child could receive 50% of your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), BUT the family maximum applies and will reduce these amounts. The family maximum is typically 150-180% of your PIA. So if your benefit is $2,450, the family maximum might be around $4,100-$4,400 (rough estimate). How it works in practice: - You get your full benefit: $2,450 - Each child would be eligible for 50%: $1,225 each - Total before reduction: $4,900 ($2,450 + $1,225 + $1,225) - But if family max is $4,400, there's a $500 reduction - Your benefit stays the same, but your children's benefits get proportionally reduced - Each child would get approximately $975 instead of $1,225 The exact family maximum formula is complex (based on "bend points"), so these are just estimates.

My sister went thru this last year. SSA doesnt split it evenly like the other person said. They use some formula and her kids got different amounts even tho they were both eligible. One kid got more than the other and she had to call like 5 times to get them to explain it. Something about when they were born in relation to when she filed. Total mess.

The calculation is definitely confusing! I went through this last year. If I remember right, they take your Primary Insurance Amount and multiply it by like 1.5-1.8 to get the family max. Then they subtract your benefit from that max, and whatever's left gets divided among the kids. So yes, your benefit is protected but the kids' amounts get reduced proportionally if the total would exceed the max.

I'm going through EXACTLY this right now with my two teenagers and it's been a NIGHTMARE!!! My kids are getting different amounts which makes NO SENSE!!! Been on the phone with SSA for HOURS and still can't get a straight answer on why one is getting $843 and the other only $791!!! The "family maximum" is just their way of NOT giving us what we deserve!!! So frustrated with this whole system!!!!!

If you're having trouble getting through to SSA on the phone, I'd recommend trying Claimyr (claimyr.com). It helped me get through to a real person when I was dealing with similar family benefit questions. Their service connects you with a Social Security agent without the usual wait times. They have a video demo that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Once you get through to someone, ask specifically about your family maximum calculation and how the benefits would be divided. Get them to walk you through the exact numbers based on your work record. It made a huge difference for me to speak with someone who could look at my actual file rather than trying to guess at the amounts.

just wanted to say good luck with this. my brother went thru this last year and said it took months to get everything sorted out. he said document everything and write down names of everyone u talk to at SSA.

One other important thing to note - if you're filing at 62, your own benefit will be reduced for early filing (about 30% reduction from your full retirement age amount), but this reduction doesn't affect the children's benefits. Their benefits are based on your full PIA, not your reduced benefit amount. This is a common misunderstanding. Regarding your children receiving different amounts - this should only happen if there are special circumstances (like one child has income from work over the earnings limit, or receives other government benefits). Under normal circumstances with the family maximum, eligible children should receive equal amounts.

Correct - your children's benefits are based on your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), which is what you would receive at your Full Retirement Age, not your reduced early retirement benefit. This is one reason why sometimes taking early retirement can make financial sense for families with young children - you might get more total benefits during the years your children are eligible. Regarding the family maximum calculation, you can request a Social Security Statement through your my Social Security account online, which may show your family maximum. If not, when you apply for benefits, the SSA will calculate it for you. For accurate planning purposes, you might want to schedule an appointment at your local office where they can provide the exact numbers based on your work record.

dont forget that dependant benefits only go to 18 unless theyre still in high school then it can go to 19 AND if they become disabled before 22 they can get benefits based on ur record for longer. my nephew has downs and gets benefits on his dads record this way.

Thanks everyone for the helpful information! I was able to get through to SSA yesterday (used that Claimyr service someone mentioned - worked great). They confirmed my PIA is actually $2,680 and my family maximum would be about $4,690. So if I file at 62, I'd get about $1,876 (reduced for early filing), but each child would be eligible for $1,340 (50% of my PIA). But since that would total $4,556 which is under the family maximum, they'd each get the full 50%! We won't hit the maximum until I reach FRA and my benefit increases. This is such a relief to know for planning purposes. The agent said things can change with COLA increases, but at least I have a starting point for budgeting. Really appreciate all the help!

That's fantastic news! So glad you were able to get through and get the exact numbers. It's a huge relief when you can actually plan with real figures instead of estimates. Your situation is actually pretty ideal - getting the full 50% for each child without hitting the family maximum is great. One thing to keep in mind for future planning: when you reach your FRA and your benefit increases to the full $2,680, your kids will still be getting benefits (they'll be around 16 and 18 then), so you might hit that family maximum at that point. But even if you do, the total family benefit would still be higher than what you're getting now, so it's still a win. Thanks for updating us with the actual numbers - it's really helpful for others in similar situations to see how it worked out in practice!

Wow, this is such a helpful thread! I'm in a similar situation with my two kids (ages 8 and 12) and have been completely confused by all the SSA information online. Reading through everyone's experiences and seeing Connor's actual numbers at the end really helps me understand what to expect. I'm curious - for those who have gone through this process, how long did it take from when you first applied until your kids started receiving their benefits? I know SSA can be slow with processing, and I'm trying to plan the timing of when to file. Also, do the kids need their own Social Security numbers, or does SSA handle that automatically when you apply for dependent benefits? Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is so much more helpful than trying to navigate the SSA website alone!

This is such valuable information! I'm a single parent with three young kids (ages 6, 8, and 10) and I've been putting off applying for early retirement because I was worried about how it would affect their benefits. Reading through this thread, especially Connor's real-world example, has been incredibly helpful. I'm particularly interested in what Paolo Esposito mentioned about early retirement sometimes making financial sense for families with young children. In my case, I'm 61 and could file next year. My estimated benefit at 62 would be around $1,650 (reduced), but my PIA is about $2,360. If each child could get up to $1,180 (50% of PIA), that's potentially $5,190 total family income per month, which might be more than waiting until my FRA when the kids would be older. Has anyone else done this calculation and decided that early filing made sense with multiple children? I'm trying to weigh the long-term reduction in my own benefits against the immediate family benefit increase. It seems like there might be a sweet spot where the family maximum and children's ages work in your favor. Thanks again to everyone who shared their experiences - this community has been more helpful than countless hours on the SSA website!

This is such a comprehensive discussion! As someone new to this community, I'm amazed by how helpful everyone has been sharing their real experiences with Social Security family benefits. I'm in a somewhat similar situation - turning 62 next year with twin 10-year-olds. Reading through Connor's actual numbers and QuantumQuasar's three-child scenario has really helped me understand the calculations better. The key insight about children's benefits being based on your PIA (not your reduced early retirement amount) is huge - I had no idea about that distinction. One question I haven't seen addressed: does anyone know how remarriage affects these calculations? I'm currently single, but if I were to remarry after filing, would that impact my children's benefits at all? I've read conflicting information online about whether a new spouse's income or benefits factor into the family maximum. Also, huge thanks to whoever mentioned the Claimyr service - I've been trying to get through to SSA for months with no luck. It's so frustrating that getting basic information about your own benefits is this difficult! Really appreciate this community for making such a confusing topic more understandable. The real-world examples and actual numbers people have shared are worth more than all the generic SSA publications combined.

Welcome to the community! I'm also relatively new here but have found this thread incredibly valuable. Your remarriage question is really important - from my understanding, your children's benefits should continue unaffected since they're based on your work record, not your new spouse's. The family maximum calculation stays the same too. However, one thing to watch out for is if your new spouse adopts your children or if you adopt their children - that could potentially change how benefits are calculated since it might affect who's eligible under which parent's record. But for straightforward remarriage where the kids remain your biological children and aren't adopted by the new spouse, their benefits should continue as normal. I'd echo the advice about using Claimyr to get through to SSA - it really does work! When you call, definitely ask about remarriage scenarios specific to your situation. They can walk through exactly how it would work with your actual numbers. This community has been such a lifesaver for understanding these complex rules. The SSA website is so confusing, but hearing real experiences from people like Connor who got actual numbers makes everything much clearer. Good luck with your planning!

Welcome to everyone who's new to the community! This thread has been incredibly helpful - it's exactly why I love this forum. Getting real-world examples like Connor's actual SSA numbers is so much more valuable than trying to decipher the generic information on government websites. I wanted to add one more piece of information that might be helpful for those planning their filing strategy: don't forget about the earnings test if you're filing for early retirement but still working. If you earn over the annual limit (around $22,320 in 2024), they'll reduce your benefits by $1 for every $2 you earn above the limit. This doesn't affect the children's benefits directly, but it can impact your own benefit amount. Also, for those asking about getting through to SSA - I second the recommendations about Claimyr, but another tip is to call right when they open at 7 AM local time. I've had better luck getting through during the first hour they're open rather than later in the day. The discussion about early filing potentially making sense with multiple young children is really eye-opening. It's one of those situations where the conventional wisdom about waiting until FRA might not apply when you factor in the family benefits timeline. Great point about having the money when you need it most for school expenses and activities!