Does Deemed Filing Apply to Child-in-Care and SSDI Benefits?

Does deemed filing does apply to child in care (young mothers/young fathers) and SSDI?

Deemed filing rules do not apply to child-in-care benefits or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). Here’s how deemed filing works and why it’s different for these types of benefits:

1. Deemed Filing Overview:

   • General Rule: Deemed filing requires individuals to take all benefits they are eligible to receive simultaneously. For example, a spouse cannot choose to receive only a spousal benefit while delaying their own retirement benefit. Instead, they must file for their own retirement benefit first, and any spousal boost is added afterward. The spousal boost is calculated as half of the higher-earning spouse’s Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) minus the lower earner’s PIA.

2. No Deemed Filing for Child-in-Care Benefits:

   • Child-in-Care Benefit: The deemed filing rule does not apply to child-in-care benefits. These benefits are payable to a parent or spouse who is caring for a child under age 16 or a disabled adult child. The child-in-care benefit is separate and distinct from retirement and spousal benefits, so deemed filing rules do not affect it.

3. No Deemed Filing for SSDI:

   • SSDI Benefits: Similarly, deemed filing does not apply to SSDI benefits. Individuals receiving SSDI are not required to file for any other benefits they might be eligible for, such as retirement or spousal benefits, under the deemed filing rules. SSDI operates under its own set of rules and is not influenced by deemed filing.

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