I’m curious as to why my daughter’s survivor benefits did not go up when her middle turned 18? When the oldest child turned 18 the middle kid and my daughter’s benefits went up. The amount that it went up made it seem like they were getting the oldest kids check split between the 2 of them. My daughter is the youngest and now the only one left collecting and it didn’t go up when the middle kid turned 18?

Hi. The maximum rate that a surviving child can be paid is equal to 75% of the deceased worker's primary insurance amount (PIA). Up to 2 surviving children can always be paid their full maximum benefit rate if they are the only survivors drawing benefits on a deceased worker's record. Therefore, assuming that your daughter and her older sibling were the only 2 survivors collecting benefits, the younger child's benefit rate didn't go up when the older sibling stopped getting benefits because the younger child was already receiving her maximum benefit rate of 75% of the deceased worker's PIA.

The only time that a surviving child's benefit amount is reduced to below 75% of the worker's PIA is if there are more than 2 eligible children, or at least 2 eligible children plus a surviving spouse drawing benefits. In that case, they must split the family maximum benefit (FMB) amount that can be paid on the worker's record. FMBs can amount to anywhere from 150% of the deceased worker's PIA to 187% of the deceased worker's PIA. That's why benefit rates for remaining eligible survivors can sometimes increase when another beneficiary stops collecting benefits. But, when only 2 children are getting survivor benefits then there's no increase in the youngest child's rate when the older child stops getting benefits.

Best, Jerry