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Social Security Child's Insurance Benefits Benefits

Program Description

These benefits are paid to a worker's biological child, adopted child or dependent stepchild. In some cases, the child also could be eligible for benefits based on his or her grandparents' or stepgrandparents' earnings.

To receive this benefit, a child must have the following:

Parent(s) who is disabled or retired and entitled to Social Security benefits, or
Parent who died after having worked long enough in a job where he or she paid Social Security taxes.

The child must also meet the following requirements:

Unmarried
Younger than 18 years old, or
Must be 18-19 years old and a full-time student (no higher than grade 12), or 18 years old or older and disabled (the disability must have started before age 22).

Your Next Steps

The following information will lead you to the next steps to apply for this program.

Application Process

If you would like to find out if you may be eligible for any of the benefits SSA administers, visit http://best.ssa.gov.

Once you have completed the eligibility screening questionnaire, you will be provided with a list of benefits for which you may be eligible. Print this page for your records before going to the application site.

Once you know which benefits you can apply for, go to http://www.socialsecurity.gov/applyonline/ to apply online.

You can also call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY: 1-800-325-0778) for additional information about SSA benefits and for application information.

Program Contact Information

For more information on this and any SSA benefit, call:
1-800-772-1213 (TTY: 1-800-325-0778)

Visit our Publications page for detailed information about SSA programs and policies:
http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/