Can Your Family Get Benefits From Your Disability Record?

Suffering from a disabling medical condition can be stressful and an overall painful experience. It can interfere with your ability to provide a sustainable income for you and for your family which may leave you feeling humiliated or insecure. Unfortunately, family members may miss out on disability benefits that they are eligible for based on their loved ones medically disabling condition. It is important to understand that while the Social Security Administration offers two forms of disability benefits, such as the following, they also offer family members of medically disabled recipients benefits as well.

• Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

3 Ways to Know if Your Family Members Qualify for Disability Benefits

If you are suffering from a medically disabling condition and have applied for disability benefits or are in the beginning stages of the application process, you may be interested in your family’s disability benefit eligibility. There are few ways to know if your family members qualify for disability benefits as detailed below.

• 1. If your spouse is caring for the disabled worker’s child under the age of 16, then they may be eligible for disability benefits until the child reaches 16.
• 2. If your spouse is 62 years of age or older and not receiving a higher benefit via retirement or other disability programs, then they may qualify for disability benefits.
• 3. If your ex-spouse is over the age of 62 and your marriage lasted more than 10 years, then they may be eligible for disability benefits.

These benefits for family members are called Auxilliary benefits, as they do not require that the family members be disabled themselves.

Is Your Family Member Qualified for Disability Benefits?

The Social Security Administration offers disability benefits to qualified family members of those who are suffering from a medically disabling condition. However, like any benefit the SSA provides, there are a few eligibility requirements that family members of disability recipients must meet. If you are unsure if your family member is qualified for disability benefits, reach out to an experienced and compassionate disability advocate who will fight for the benefits you and your family members deserve.