Can a 18 year old full time student still get Social Security child’s benefits?
I was recently asked if Social Security child’s benefits continue for a full-time student who is 18 or over.
Here is the answer in a directly from Social Security:
No. At one time, SSA did pay benefits to eligible college students, but the law changed in 1981. Benefits stop when a child reaches age 18 unless he or she:
Is disabled; or
Attends a secondary (grade 12 or below) or elementary school full-time.
In general, benefits end when:
The student graduates ; or
The student turns age 19 and two months, whichever is first.
Normally, benefits stop when a child reaches age 18 unless he or she is disabled. However, if the child is still a full-time student at a secondary (or elementary) school at age 18, benefits generally can continue until he or she graduates or until two months after he or she reaches age 19, whichever is first.
Here are the applicable regulations:
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits (DIB)?
Social Security has two different benefit programs for individuals who are disabled.
Disability Insurance Benefits (DIB, also known as SSDI, or Title 2 benefits); and
Supplemental Security Income (SSI or Title 16 benefits).
Because of its name, it is a common misconception that must apply for “Disability Insurance” if you are disabled. Actually, both programs provide disability benefits.
What is Disability Insurance Benefits (DIB)?
Generally, Disability Insurance Benefits are based on your payroll contribution to Social Security. To qualify for DIB, you have to have earned enough Social Security credits, in the right time frame, by paying into Social Security through payroll taxes.
There are several circumstances in which you may not have enough credits for Social Security Disability Insurance:
Social Security Disabled Adult Child (DAC) benefits
I enjoy reading attorney Paul Nidich’s blog Nidich on Anything. Paul’s knowledge nicely dovetails with my own. When there is an area I am uncertain about, I check to see what Paul has written.
A while ago, Paul wrote a nice article about Disabled Adult Child (DAC) benefits.
I did a search for “Disabled Adult Child” last night. On one of the web sites, the “expert” writing about the DAC benefit had the “disabled before age ___” incorrect. In speaking about special needs trusts and attending other’s presentations on special needs trusts, I find that few lawyers are aware of the DAC benefit, and, of course, fewer people in the disability community are aware of the benefit.
Disabled Adult Child is a Social Security program for adults who became disabled before the age of 22. The main benefit of this benefit program is that is allows the adult child to receive benefits based on the parent’s earnings record, which may mean more benefits than the child would otherwise be entitled to.
