Social Security Benefits for Children Under 18

I have a client who has 3 kids under 18 –> 8, 11, 13.  Do you have to claim kids on taxes to be able to claim for SS benefits?  What do those benefits look like for him? His SS benefit at 67 is $2,765.

Your client’s children do not need to be claimed on his tax returns to be eligible for Social Security benefits from his work record. Social Security provides dependent benefits for children under the age of 18 (or up to 19 if still in high school) based on a parent’s earnings record.

In your client’s case, his children could receive benefits calculated as 50% of his Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), which is his full retirement age benefit amount, capped by the family maximum limit. Since your client’s PIA is $2,765, each child would be eligible for 50% of this amount, which is approximately $1,382.50 per child, subject to the family maximum limit.

However, Social Security imposes a family maximum, which typically ranges from 150% to 180% of the worker’s PIA. For example, if your client’s family maximum is 175% of his PIA, the total amount available for the family would be approximately $4,838.75. After your client receives his full benefit of $2,765, the remaining amount ($2,073.75) would be divided equally among his three children. Each child would receive roughly $691.25 per month.

If the children do not live with your client, the benefits would be paid to the person who has custody of the children, typically a parent or legal guardian, who would act as the representative payee and manage the benefits for the children’s needs.

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