Ask Larry

Will My Granddaughter Get Any Benefits?

One is my granddaughter’s will be living with me her father is deceased she is 19 years will she get any benefits

Hi. If your granddaughter is age 19, then she'd probably only qualify for Social Security benefits is if she's disabled. For a child to qualify for benefits on the record of a parent or grandparent, they must be either a) under age 18, b) 18 to 19 and attending high school, or c) disabled.

Applications for survivor benefits can be retroactive for up to 6 months, so if your granddaughter was still in high school within the past 6 months and if her father was already deceased at that time, then she may want to check with Social Security to see if she might qualify for retroactive benefits. Whether or not she'd qualify would depend on the details involved. But, if your granddaughter is disabled, she might be able to qualify for ongoing monthly benefits assuming that her father was insured for Social Security benefits.

Children can only potentially qualify for benefits on the Social Security record of a grandparent if both of their natural parents are either deceased or disabled.

Best, Jerry

Category: 
Posted: 
Mar 27 2021 - 12:26pm
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