Individuals who suffer debilitating injuries or from serious medical conditions may not be able to work or may only be able to work part-time. In cases where an individual has been diagnosed with a serious medical condition like cancer or major depression or has suffered a work-related back or head injury; he or she may qualify to receive Social Security Disability Insurance benefits.
In many cases, a disability doesn't just impact an individual's life, but also the lives of his or her spouse and children. When a married individual qualifies for SSDI benefits, based on that individual's record his or her spouse and children may also qualify to receive benefits.
In order for an SSDI beneficiary's biological, adopted or step child to receive benefits, a son or daughter must be under the age of 18. Also, in cases where a child is 18 but still enrolled in a secondary school, benefits would continue until two months after the child turns age 19.
In cases where an SSDI recipient has more than one child who meets the qualifying requirements, monthly benefit payments of up to 50 percent of a SSDI parent's monthly benefits payment may be paid out to each child. It's important to note, however, that family SSDI benefits are typically capped when monthly amounts total 180 percent of the SSDI recipient's total monthly disability payment.
A spouse's or parent's disability can adversely impact the financial security and wellbeing of an entire family. For SSDI recipients with minor-aged children, it's wise to obtain information on how a child may qualify to obtain monthly benefits on one's record.