SSDI Since 2006 My Child Gets No Benefits

[blossom58]

Hello, I have been on SSDI since 2006, I have been a stay at home mom off and on, or just worked part-time before 2006. I receive $621 in SSDI benefits and don't qualify for SSI because my husband is working.
When I got the phone call that I was approved for disaility in 2006, they told me that my daughter wouldn't get any benefits because I hadn't worked enough. She was 12 at the time.
After reading through the SSA web site, I am more confused than ever.
Why can't my daughter get any benefits on my disability? I read that most children get half of their parent's benefit.
Could someone help me?
Thank you in advance.

[blossom58]

I called SSA and they said my daughter won't get any benefits because I am at my max. $621 is my maximum and there aren't anymore funds left for my daughter (based on my past work history). I thought I'd share my findings in the hope that this might help someone else.

[finz]

I didn't know that.

I just assumed if you had worked enough quarters for benefits, that your kids would also be eligible. Learn something new everyday.........

[shawn33]

Hello blossom,
I've been on SSDI for quite some time now. in the past things went pretty smoth with them. But then about a year and a half to 2 years ago bush ordered SS not to accept as many qualified members into SSDI as they used to, because it would hurt his budget for the war. So I wonder if that's the reason your daughter won't get the benefits. Also at SS they say you can have a hearing if you're not approved. That sounds like you'll see a judge against them. But who you see is just a high ranking supervisor in SS that has a talk with you. A friend on the live chat at www.epilepsy.com told me what he went through there. Please take care.
shawn33

Originally Posted by blossom58

Hello, I have been on SSDI since 2006, I have been a stay at home mom off and on, or just worked part-time before 2006. I receive $621 in SSDI benefits and don't qualify for SSI because my husband is working.
When I got the phone call that I was approved for disaility in 2006, they told me that my daughter wouldn't get any benefits because I hadn't worked enough. She was 12 at the time.
After reading through the SSA web site, I am more confused than ever.
Why can't my daughter get any benefits on my disability? I read that most children get half of their parent's benefit.
Could someone help me?
Thank you in advance.

[tkrik]

Hi Blossom,

I didn't know that. My dd17 gets benefits (DD18 did as well until she turned 18). I wonder if they base it on income? No, I know of someone who didn't have enough credits but he receives SSDI as so does his kids even though his wife works.

Maybe you could actually go to the SSA office and talk with them.

I wish you the best of luck.

[Georg]

Given the amount of money you receive it seems obvious that you are only receiving SSI not SSDI. In order to receive SSDI you had to have wotked about 11 years or 44 quarters. If you receive SSI the children do not receive any benefits unless they are also disabled. Also SSI benefits are not determined by what your husband makes. It is specific to the area where you live. For instance in New York State the benefits are increased because NYS contributes to the dollar amount.

[Janke]

I have tried to find you a link to a good explanation of the "Disability Family Maximum" computation, but have not been successful, so I will give you a vague answer and I cannot vouch for it being 100% accurate.

When a worker has the bare minimum of credits to be insured for disability, in cases where the worker is younger, the computation of the family maximum will not yield the same result as a person who has worked a substantial number of years and has many credits beyond the bare minimum needed to be insured. Often, in the bare minimum quarter cases, the monthly benefit paid to the worker (you) equals the amount payable to the family (your children) so there is nothing left to pay the children.

My guess is that you did work enough to be insured for SSDI, but did not have substantial earnings or years of work.

If you can get a Title 2 Claims Rep on the phone (like the one who took your original claim) you might get a more detailed answer to this question. It may also overwhelm you because it is a complex computation. If you have not filed an official application for children's benefits, you could do so now and you would then get an interview with a Title 2 Claims Rep and an official denial notice. I would suggest an in person interview in your local office, face to face. You can see the numbers and probably get a more satisfactory answer. You still may not like it.

Also, there was never any order by President Bush to not accept qualified applicants like another poster suggested. Wrong, wrong, wrong.