Children can be entitled to receive Social Security child’s benefits if the deceased parent was fully insured by Social Security and if they meet 5 tests:
- The child is the insured person’s child. See §§404.355 through 404.359;
- The child is dependent on the insured. See §§404.360 through 404.365;
- The child applies for benefits;
- The child is unmarried; and
- The child is under age 18; – OR – 18 years old or older and has a disability that began before the child became 22 years old; – OR – the child is 18 years or older and qualifies for benefits as a full-time student in a primary or secondary school as described in §404.367.
See 20 CFR 404.350 for more information.
Updated 04/30/09.
