When do Social Security child benefits stop for my son after divorce?

Your son's benefits will continue until he turns 18, or 19 if he's still a full-time high school student. They don't stop at 16. As his representative payee, you'll need to complete annual accounting forms showing how the benefits were used for his care. When he approaches 17, you should receive a form asking about his high school status. If he'll still be in high school after 18, complete that form to extend benefits until graduation or age 19, whichever comes first.

my son got payments til he was 18 then they just stoped. nobody told us anything they just stoped showing up one day so be ready for that. the month they turn 18 is the last check i think

Wait I thought children only get survivor benefits if the parent is deceased? Your ex is still alive but retired right? Are you sure these are Social Security benefits and not some kind of child support arrangement through the court? Just confused about your situation.

Your son will stop receiving benefits when he turns 18 UNLESS he is still in high school full-time, then it continues until graduation or he turns 19, whichever comes first. Keep every letter Social Security sends you! When your son is around 17.5, SSA should send a form asking about his school status. If you don't receive this form, call them or visit an office about 3 months before his 18th birthday. Also, as the representative payee, you should be completing an annual Representative Payee Report showing how the benefits were used for your son. Make sure you're keeping good records - food, housing, clothing, medical expenses, education, etc. SSA can audit you and request proof of how funds were spent.

My daughter got benefits from her dad too till 18 but she dropped out of school at 17 and they made us pay back 4 months because I didn't tell them fast enough! Be careful about that.

I'm going through almost the exact same situation! Ex took early retirement and my son (16) gets benefits. I found out that for benefits to continue past 18, they send a form called "Student Statement Regarding School Attendance" about 3-4 months before they turn 18. Then your son needs to have a school official complete part of it to verify full-time attendance. Also, have you tried using Claimyr to reach someone at Social Security? After wasting hours on hold, I found claimyr.com and their service actually got me through to a real person at SSA in about 15 minutes. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU that shows how it works. It saved me so much frustration when I had questions about my son's benefits.

Some important points to clarify: 1. Benefits continue until age 18, or 19 if still in high school 2. Benefits terminate the MONTH BEFORE your child turns 18 (not the month of the birthday) 3. If your child has disabilities that began before age 22, benefits may continue into adulthood 4. For divorced parents, it doesn't matter who has custody - benefits are based on the retired parent's record 5. The maximum family benefit rules may apply (there's a cap on total benefits paid on one worker's record) SSA should send a notice about 3 months before termination, but don't count on it. I always recommend clients proactively contact SSA about 4-5 months before the child turns 18 to understand exactly when benefits will end and to get the proper forms if high school attendance will continue.

make sure your keeping the money seprate from yours!!! my brother got in big trouble for mixing the kids SS money with his own money. SS says you need a seprate account for just the kids benefits

Does your divorce decree say anything about these benefits? Sometimes judges will reduce child support if the kid is getting SS payments from the retired parent's record. Just wondering if this is impacting how much your ex pays in support?

Just want to add that you should also be prepared for potential changes if your ex's benefit amount changes due to cost-of-living adjustments (COLA). Your son's benefit is typically 50% of your ex-husband's full retirement benefit, so if his goes up due to annual COLA increases, your son's should too. Also, if your ex remarries and his new spouse has children under 18, that could potentially affect the family maximum benefit cap, which might reduce your son's payment. It's worth asking SSA about this scenario during one of your calls, especially since you mentioned planning ahead financially. The good news is that divorce doesn't affect your son's eligibility - he's still entitled to benefits on his father's record regardless of your custody arrangement.

I work as a paralegal at a family law firm and see this situation frequently. A few additional things to keep in mind: 1) When your son turns 18 and benefits end, you can petition the court to modify child support since your financial circumstances will have changed significantly. 2) If your son plans to attend college, look into whether your state has any provisions for extending child support through college years - this varies by state. 3) Start saving now if possible, even small amounts, to help cushion the transition when that $975/month stops. 4) If your ex's retirement benefits increase due to delayed retirement credits (if he continues working past full retirement age), your son's benefits may increase proportionally. 5) Make sure you understand your state's laws about when child support obligations end - some states it's 18, others it's 19 or graduation, and this affects when you'd need to file for modification after SS benefits stop.

I've been through a similar situation and wanted to share some practical tips that helped me prepare for when my daughter's benefits ended. First, create a written timeline now - mark your calendar for when your son turns 17.5 (to watch for that school status form), his 18th birthday, and his expected graduation date. Second, start reaching out to SSA about 4-5 months before he turns 18 to confirm the exact termination date and get any necessary forms. Third, if you're planning to modify child support when benefits end, consider consulting with a family law attorney about 6 months before the benefits stop - they can help you understand your state's specific requirements and timeline for filing. Finally, document everything - keep copies of all SSA correspondence, your annual payee reports, and records of how the benefits were used. This documentation will be helpful both for SSA and for court proceedings. The transition doesn't have to be overwhelming if you plan ahead!

I'm new to this community but facing a similar situation with my 15-year-old daughter who receives benefits from her father's disability record. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful! I had no idea about the Student Statement form or that benefits could continue until 19 if still in high school. One thing I'm wondering about - does anyone know if the rules are different for children receiving benefits from a parent on disability versus retirement? My ex went on SSDI rather than early retirement, but I assume the age cutoffs are the same? Also, I've been struggling with those annual payee reports - they're so confusing. Does anyone have tips for organizing records throughout the year to make completing them easier?