Disability

• Disabled children, and children of disabled parents, are eligible for Social Security benefits. Since it can take up to five months for the SSA to process an application, don't wait to start filling one out. Have as much information about your disability, or your child's disability, on hand when you apply. You can start your application online and return to it whenever you need to (see Resources).
  
  

Survivor's and Retirement

• Children can receive benefits on a parent's record if that parent is retired or deceased. The only requirement for children to receive these benefits is that he is dependent and under 18, or a full-time student of age 19 or younger. Disabled children of any age may also receive Survivor's or Retirement Benefits if they were disabled before age 22. The adult, of course, must first qualify for retirement or survivor's benefits in order for his child to receive them; this means he must have worked long enough while paying Social Security taxes in order for his family to receive benefits. The requirement is usually 10 years of work on record, but it may be fewer if the adult is younger.
  
  

Eligibility

• In order to qualify for benefits, a child must be under 18 and unmarried. A child of age 18 or 19 may still qualify if she is a full-time student in grade 12 or lower. If the child is disabled, she must meet the government's requirements for a disability -- meaning she has a medical condition that will last at least a year or result in death. Some serious conditions like cancer and Lou Gehrig's disease may be automatically approved. Note that a disabled child or a full-time student will continue receiving benefits after age 18, while children who receive Social Security on behalf of their parents won't receive them after age 18.
  
  

Applying

• You just need a few items to apply for children's benefits: the child's birth certificate, Social Security number and the parents' Social Security numbers. If the child is disabled, bring along evidence of the medical condition -- this usually means medical paperwork or a list of surgeries or procedures. Call the Social Security Administration for specific questions about what you'll need, or go straight to your local SSA office to apply (see Resources).