My daughter passed..she has 2 children..1 have custody of an the father custody of the the other.will the survivor benefit amount be split between the 2 of them..?? Example if it would b 2000.00 monthly would each only get 1000.00 monthly?

Hi. I'm sorry for your loss. All of your daughter's eligible children would be entitled to the same monthly rate, but it's a bit more complicated than what you describe. Surviving children can be paid up to 75% of the deceased worker's primary insurance amount (PIA), but there is a family maximum benefit (FMB) limit that can be paid on any worker's record. The FMB on survivor accounts is always at least 150% of the worker's PIA, so if the 2 children you mention are the only survivors receiving benefits from your daughter's account they could each be paid their full 75% of your daughter's PIA without exceeding the FMB. But, if there were 3 or more eligible survivors then their benefit rates could be reduced due to the FMB limit.

For example, say that a worker with a PIA of $1000 and an FMB of $1500 dies leaving behind a spouse and 2 children If only the 2 children qualify for benefits, they could each be paid up to their full 75% of the worker's PIA, or $750, without exceeding the FMB. But, if the surviving spouse was also eligible for benefits then the 3 eligible survivors couldn't be paid their full amounts without exceeding the FMB. So, they would split the FMB and each receive $500.

An application must be filed in order to establish entitlement to child's benefits, so if you haven't already done so it sounds like you should contact Social Security and apply for benefits on behalf of the child in your custody.

Best, Jerry