If an individual is disabled and receives Title 2 Social Security Disability Insurance benefits (SSDI aka DIB), their spouse (husband or wife) and minor children can also receive benefits because of the spouse’s / parent’s disability. These are called auxiliary benefits.

I previously coved how Social Security benefits stop if a disabled person is goes to jail / prison.  

So, what happens to the children’s or spouse’s benefits if the disabled individual is incarcerated: goes to jail or prison?  

Do the wife or husband’s auxiliary benefits stop?

Do the children’s auxiliary benefits stop?

The best answer I have been able to find to this question is in the Social Security Online Handbook. Part 501. Entitlement to Disabled Worker’s Benefits says,

“Auxiliary benefits” are additional monthly benefits (see Chapter 3). These benefits may be payable to other family members on your earnings record if you are entitled to disabled worker’s benefits. They are payable to your family members even when you are not receiving benefits because of imprisonment.

So, it looks like, yes, auxiliary benefits to spouses or children are payable even thought the disabled individual is incarcerated and cannot receive Social Security benefits him/herself.

However, keep in mind that the Social Security Handbook is a guide explaining to how Social Security is supposed to work.  The Social Security Handbook has no binding legal authority. So take this answer with a bit of caution.

Did you know that you can get Social Security benefits based on your spouse’s earnings, even if you are divorced?

Click to read who is entitled to wife’s or husband’s benefits as a divorced spouse?

You are entitled to wife’s or husband’s benefits as the divorced wife or divorced husband of an insured person who is entitled to old-age or disability benefits if you meet the requirements of paragraphs (a) through (e). You are entitled to these benefits even though the insured person is not yet entitled to benefits, if the insured person is at least age 62 and if you meet the requirements of paragraphs (a) through (f). The requirements are that-

(a) You are the insured’s divorced wife or divorced husband and-

(1) You were validly married to the insured under State law as described in §404.345 or you were deemed to be validly married as described in §404.346; and
(2) You were married to the insured for at least 10 years immediately before your divorce became final;

(b) You apply;

(c) You are not married. (For purposes of meeting this requirement, you will be considered not to be married throughout the month in which the divorce occurred);

(d) You are age 62 or older throughout a month in which all other conditions of entitlement are met; and

(e) You are not entitled to an old-age or disability benefit based upon a primary insurance amount that is equal to or larger than the full wife’s or husband’s benefit.

(f) You have been divorced from the insured person for at least 2 years.

For most individuals, the important factors are that both you and ex have to be at least 62 years old, you are unmarried and you have to have been divorced for at least 2 years. 

Click to read Social Security’s §404.331 on who is entitled to wife’s or husband’s benefits as a divorced spouse.

I was recently asked this question:

My Ex is getting Social Security disability benefits.  I have custody of our kids.  Can my kids get any benefits because of my ex’s disability?

Perhaps, but you have to meet several requirements:

1. The disabled parent must be receiving Title 2 Social Security Disability benefits. If the parent is receiving Title 16 SSI benefits, there are no auxiliary benefits available.  Auxiliary benefits are benefits paid to a spouse or minor child of a disabled individual.
2. You have to be able to prove that the child is the child of the disabled parent.  This is usually a non-issue, but there are instances where this is disputed.  For example: the father may be in and out of the picture, his name may not be on the child’s birth certificate.  Later the father becomes disabled.  If the father does not acknowledge the child, it may be difficult to get benefits for the child. 
3. The child has to be under 18 (or 19 if in school).

This great discussion of eligibility for children’s benefits appears on Jonathan Ginsberg’s blog.

If your spouse is disabled and entitled to Social Security Title 2 benefits -Disability Insurance Benefits, you may be entitled to receive benefits from Social Security.  

These benefits are called “auxiliary benefits.”

It is important to remember that auxiliary benefits are only available if the disabled spouse (disabled husband or disabled wife) is receiving Disability Insurance benefits.  There are no auxiliary benefits when the disable spouse is receiving Social Security Title 16 Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.Who is entitled to wife’s or husband’s benefits.

Am I entitled to Social Security auxiliary benefits?

You are entitled to benefits as the wife or husband of an insured person who is entitled to old-age or disability benefits if you meet the criteria listing in 20 CFR 404.330.:

(a) You are the insured’s wife or husband based upon a relationship described in §§404.345 through 404.346 and one of the following conditions is met:

(1) Your relationship to the insured as a wife or husband has lasted at least 1 year. (You will be considered to meet the 1-year duration requirement throughout the month in which the first anniversary of the marriage occurs.)
(2) You and the insured are the natural parents of a child; or
(3) In the month before you married the insured you were entitled to, or if you had applied and been old enough you could have been entitled to, any of these benefits or payments: Wife’s, husband’s, widow’s, widower’s, or parent’s benefits; disabled child’s benefits; or annuity payments under the Railroad Retirement Act for widows, widowers, parents, or children 18 years old or older;

(b) You apply;

(c) You are age 62 or older throughout a month and you meet all other conditions of entitlement, or you are the insured’s wife or husband and have in your care (as defined in §§404.348 through 404.349), throughout a month in which all other conditions of entitlement are met, a child who is entitled to child’s benefits on the insured’s earnings record and the child is either under age 16 or disabled; and

(d) You are not entitled to an old-age or disability benefit based upon a primary insurance amount that is equal to or larger than the full wife’s or husband’s benefit.

I know, it is all very legalistic.  Fortunately, Social Security has a much better summary in their, What Every Woman Should Know FAQ.

If you have not worked or do not have enough Social Security credits and you are married, you may be eligible for Social Security benefits as a result of your husband’s work. You and your children (younger than age 18 or younger than age 19 if still in secondary school or disabled before age 22) have Social Security protection through your husband’s work. When he retires, or if he becomes disabled, you could be eligible for benefits as early as age 62. If you are caring for your child who is younger than age 16 or disabled and entitled to benefits, you could receive benefits at any age.

Auxiliary benefits are normally processed automatically along with the spouse’s disability benefits.  But, if for some reason they were not, it may be a good idea to contact Social Security to see if you qualify.  

Updated 05/22/09.

If an individual is disabled and entitled to Social Security Title 2 benefits – also called Disability Insurance benefits, his or her minor children can also receive benefits from Social Security.  

These benefits are called “auxiliary benefits” by Social Security.

It is important to remember that auxiliary benefits are only available if the disabled parent (disabled mother or disabled father) is receiving Disability Insurance benefits.  There are no auxiliary benefits when the disable parent is receiving Social Security Title 16 Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.

Other than the parent being disabled, what else do you need to receive children’s benefits?

This is governed by 20 CFR 404.350 “Who is entitled to children’s benefits”

(a) General. You are entitled to child’s benefits on the earnings record of an insured person who is entitled to old-age or disability benefits or who has died if-

(1) You are the insured person’s child, based upon a relationship described in §§404.355 through 404.359;
(2) You are dependent on the insured, as defined in §§404.360 through 404.365;
(3) You apply;
(4) You are unmarried; and
(5) You are under age 18; you are 18 years old or older and have a disability that began before you became 22 years old; or you are 18 years or older and qualify for benefits as a full-time student as described in §404.367.

So, if you are disabled, receiving Disability Insurance benefits from Social Security, and have an unmarried child under 18, they should already be receiving children’s benefits.  If not, apply for them.