An adopted child is typically considered a dependent for purposes of determining Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits. Just like with children by birth, adopted children are eligible to be included in an SSD claim if their parent is disabled.
How to Know If The Adopted Children Qualify
The rules that determine if an adopted child can be included in an SSD claim are nearly the same as the rules that govern children by birth. For adopted children to be treated under the law as though they were birth children, they must have been adopted before they turned 18. After that, the same rules that govern birth children will apply: to receive benefits the adopted child must be unmarried and less than 18 years old.
There are instances where a child over 18 can receive SSD. This can happen if the child is 19 or younger and enrolled as a full-time student, or if the child is disabled. For special needs children to qualify, they must have become disabled before turning 22.
What Information Is Needed to Apply For An Adopted Child’s Social Security Benefits?
As with non-adopted children, when a parent goes to apply for Social Security with his or her adopted child named as a dependent, he or she will need to be able to provide the United States Social Security Administration a few identifying documents. A parent will need to give his or her own Social Security number, his or her child’s Social Security number, and the child’s birth certificate.
If the adopted child does not yet have a Social Security number, the parent will need to obtain one through the Social Security Administration before he or she applies. There may also be some additional information needed depending on the circumstances. For instance, if a parent wants to get benefits for an adopted child who is over 18 and a full-time student, he or she will need to offer proof of enrollment.
How “Disabled” Is Defined by Social Security
The Social Security Administration considers a child disabled if he or she has a medically determinable physical or mental impairment which:
- makes him or her unable to do any substantial gainful activity
- can be expected to result in death; or
- has lasted or is expected to last 12 months or longer
According to their website, the Social Security Administration is “committed to providing benefits quickly to applicants whose medical conditions are so serious that their conditions clearly meet disability standards.”
The Compassionate Allowances (CAL) initiative is one tool the Social Security Administration uses to meet that commitment. Members of this program identify claims involving people whose disabilities require immediate support. Those claims get then fast-tracked so no one falls through the cracks.
How Much Will the Adopted Child Receive in Benefits?
Typically children who qualify for SSD benefits receive 50% of what their parent receives. This does not mean that the SSD payments are split 50/50 between the two. The claimant receives 100% of a monthly check, and then 50% of that amount will be added to account for a child. However, the additional payments are reduced with each person claimed as a dependent.
What Happens If the Claimant Dies?
If a disabled parent were to die while receiving Social Security Disability payments, he or she should know that the payments being made to the adopted child will continue. So long as the child is under 18, excluding the exceptions mentioned above, he or she will continue to receive the benefits until he or she is too old, just as it would be if the parent were alive.
Navigating SSD is difficult enough without added complications. The Social Security Administration treats adopted children in the same way as non-adopted children.
