Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I am the youngest of 13 kids from my mother and father, and my father had one child from another woman he never married. I am 25, unmarried and the child, my brother, is 15.
My father is dying and I am in the process of filling out a disability application. My father's name isn't on my little brother's birth certificate. My father isn't feeling too well to go to the courts for the petition papers. Would it matter if I put his name on the application or not since his name isn't on the birth certificate? If my father doesn't make it in to sign the petition of paternity papers, can he, still receive benefits?
By lala loopsy
Only the Social Security Administration can answer your questions. You can find some information via their website but should have all of your questions answered by visiting their local office.
You'll need to do this very quickly - step one is to videotape your father claiming your half-brother as his flesh and blood son.
Step two is to get an attorney moving quickly to petition the court to have your dad recognised and the birth certificate amended. He/she can use the tape to prove your father was of sound mind, etc, and trying to sort out a sad family situation before his passing.
Step three is to thank-God your dad is a good enough man to be trying to sort this before he dies. Many don't.
I'm praying for your family to be strengthened during this very difficult time.
Frugal Sunnie certainly gave you excellent advice.
Try to follow these steps quickly as it will be very difficult to make changes after your father dies. The birth certificate will have to be changed but this may still require proof/DNA that your father is, in fact, his father.
There will probably have to be some kind of proof of this as there are - sad to say - some people who do this kind of action (illegal) just to obtain benefits for someone.
Only an attorney can help with this situation but the SS office may be able to offer good advice on how to do this change.
The father of my daughter applied for and is receiving Social Security disability. We never married, but we live together we have been going through rough times and it's time to separate. Our daughter is 3. When he started receiving benefits they told him that our daughter is eligible. Well we are just waiting for the check. My question is now that we are separating who gets the money?
By Tania
Call your local Social Security Office and find out from them.
Yep. They are the only ones' who know. We can guess but you need facts. You can also go to socialsecurity.gov and put in what you are needing. Good luck.
This is a question only Social Security personnel can answer accurately. It appears your husband has been approved for SSD and is presently awaiting his first check?
Was the daughter approved for benefits at the same time?
If so, then it would appear he is classified as the one to receive benefits for the daughter. You may have difficulty changing this as it appears it would be new "case" that would have to be approved. Since you never married it may be difficult for you to get a court order showing you as the guardian of this little girl.
If you decide to separate (did this decision come about when benefit money was anticipated?) who will the little girl live with? Social Security will tell you what has to be done for you to claim benefits (and there may be a lot of "hoops" to hurdle).
Does my SS Disability check increase after my children turn 18 and the family benefit expires? My children were able to receive minimal family benefits from my disability claim. They have both turned 18 and are no longer eligible.
Will my monthly check now absorb what was previously paid to them, since there is no one else eligible to make a claim off my SS number?Talk to your local Social Security Office to find out the right answer.
You should go to your Social Security office and find out correct answers - but - I do not believe your check will increase.
Every case is different so go to your Social Security Office and put your mind at ease.
My father past away when I was 11 years old from cancer. He was receiving benefits and it stopped when he passed. People would tell my mother that she could still receive benefits for the children (4 of us all underage), but she never went to apply.
We are all adults now and some say we can still ask for those benefits, kind of like back pay. I personally don't think we can just because we are all adults. Is there any truth to that?
By Marissa G
Call the Social Security Office and talk to them about it.
Actually being you are all adults I would think it would be your mother that would receive the back payments because she was the one that had the expense of raising you kids.
My son is living with his mother who is disabled. They both receive SS checks. If he comes to live with me will he still receive his SS check?
By Jeff from Leeds, ME
If you want the correct answer you will have to talk to the Social Security Office.
You can go to SS's web site. They have answers to lots of general questions.
My mom has had SSDI for 8 years now. I've been disabled all of my life and currently recieve SSI, not SSDI since I've never been able to work. My mom and I both agreed that I should apply for benefits under her because Medi-Cal wasn't covering my needs like Medicare would.
I applied on April 2nd and was told I'd hear about it in a month. A month later I didn't hear from Social Security, but I did hear from my mom, complaining to me that they're going to garnish about $100 from her SSDI check. She didn't say anything else about it. My mom is extremely well, "money hungry". She has broken laws before in order to get more money for herself.
I tried calling SS office in my area and they told me they couldn't find anything in the system about it? Weird. I've left a few voicemails, but still haven't gotten a response. My question is, does my mom have the jurisdiction to deny me childrens' disability benefits? I was really hoping I can finally have my hip surgery so I can walk again
since Medi-Cal doesn't cover it, but now I'm not so sure. Any information is appreciated.
Only SSA can answer your questions. You should make an appointment with your local office and bring all paperwork etc. supporting your case.
My deceased wife drew disability and so did our adopted daughter. Is my daughter still eligible for benefits?
By t.d. from Albertville, AL
Please go to your local Social Security for correct answers. Personal information is not available over the telephone. Benefits may still be available for your daughter but you may have to establish a new guardian as the payments do not usually go to a minor.
You can make an appointment with SS over the telephone or you can just visit the office. Either way, you will have to wait, but will be a little quicker with an appointment.
Be sure to take SS numbers for your daughter and whoever is now the guardian. There may new papers to submit but the SS office will give you the information you need.
It is important that you inform SS of the death and keep the benefits for your daughter (legally). SS will have information but it may not be processed for a while and there could be a problem if this is not taken care of.
Bottom line: gather all pertinent information and go to your SS office as soon as possible.
If my child's father signed his rights away; will my child still receive Social Security benefits?
By Dianna
My daughter got a check from her dad's disability until she graduated high school in June. Can she get it back being a full time student in college?
By Elizabeth
You are going to have to talk to your local Social Security Office to find out he correct answer.
I have been receiving survivor's benefits from my deceased husband who was the stepfather of my children. Now my children's biological father has been approved to receive SSDI. Can I still get the survivor's benefit amount from the stepfather and also receive the SSDI benefits from their natural father?
By Shirley K
You will have to go to your local SS office to get the information you need.
I do know that you cannot receive benefits from 2 different people but your benefits may be higher from your ex-husband than their stepfather.
How can I find out if my ex-wife cashed a Social Security check that was intended for my son?
By Earl
If your son is a minor, and the SSI check was intended for child support, your wife is the one that should cash it and use it for your son's needs, and that can include housing, utilities, clothing, food, etc. If your son is an adult, ask him. Do you have thoughts in your mind that he didn't see the money? Like I say if he is a minor, he doesn't have the right to spend it on what he wants, because his mother is furnishing a place for him to live, etc.
I was on SSDI before my ex and I broke up. When I moved out on of the first things I did was visit the Social Security office to see if I could get more funds added to the children's benefits, because I didn't think the current amount was enough to support them. In the two years now, that I haven't lived with them, my ex has yet to get a job, and has been living off of their SSDI benefits. Since she hasn't moved since we split, I know that her monthly rent exceeds the combined amount of both the children's SSDI checks.
Any time she starts to feel a pinch, (like when our daughter needed glasses, and more recently when she was/is behind in her rent), she calls my mother to complain that I don't pay child support, and that the SSDI isn't enough. Is there anything that can be done to ensure my children are being cared for financially? We never went to court for custody, or visitation, should I go that route instead?By Michael B.
You do not mention the extent of your disability or if you continued to recieve SSDI after you left your family. If you are capable of working and generating more income for your family, then I suggest you do so. An SSDI check is not enough for your family to live on. That is about the only way to guarantee your family has what they need. You did not mention why your "ex' is not working (the children are young...she hasn't the funds for childcare...) but she is filling a role for your children that is usually filled by two people. I hope you can respect that and be supportive of the burden she is carrying. That more than money will help your children in the long term. Best of luck to all of you.
I have a daughter that has cerebral palsy and receives SSI. Can my 2 year old who was just diagnosed with autism apply for SSI?
By supermom from Los Angeles, CA
