It’s very common for adult children to financially support their aging parents. Grown children may pay for their parents to be in an assisted living facility or a nursing home, they may pay all of their parent’s living expenses as they live independently, or they may have their mother or father move into their own home where they take care of all of their physical, emotional and financial needs.
But what if such a child were to die of a heart attack, cancer, or be involved in a fatal accident? What becomes of the elderly parents the adult child was caring for? While the answer isn’t black and white, some elderly parents are entitled to Social Security benefits under a federally-funded program called “Social Security Parent’s Benefits.”
“These are benefits paid to the dependent parent of a deceased worker who had earned enough Social Security credits,” according to benefits.gov.
Qualifying for Parent’s Benefits
Are you a parent who recently lost a son or daughter whom you were depending on for financial support? If you were being supported by your adult child and they passed away, you may be entitled for Social Security benefits under their work record if:
- You are at least 62,
- You have not married since your son or daughter’s death (an exception may apply),
- At certain points in time, you received at least 50 percent of your support from your deceased child,
- Under Texas law, you would be legally entitled to a share of your deceased child’s intestate (decedent died without a will) estate,
- You became the insured worker’s stepparent before they turned 16, or
- You filed proof of support within the timeframe set by law, or
- You adopted your deceased child before he or she turned 16,
- You are not entitled to Social Security benefits that are equal to or more than your deceased child’s benefit.
Related: SSD: Will Work Reduce My Benefits?
If you are interested in learning more about Social Security Disability benefits, SSI, or Social Security, contact our office to meet with a Dallas SSD lawyer. We would be glad to answer your questions and give you the direction you need.