Social Security Children’s Benefits: 2026 Rules and Amounts
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What's your financial need?
- The parent must have been retired or disabled and entitled to Social Security benefits.
- The parent must have died after working in a job where they paid Social Security taxes.
- The child is younger than 18 years old.
- The child is a full-time high school student up to 19 years old.
- The child is an adult with a disability that began before turning 22 years old .
Your actual benefit may be lower or higher than estimate made with this calculator, because it does not take into account your actual earnings history.
We assume you have earnings every year until you begin receiving Social Security benefits. If you had several years of noncovered employment or your earnings changed significantly from year to year, this calculator will overestimate or underestimate your benefit.
This is your estimated benefit
if you begin taking Social Security at age 62
This is your estimated benefit
if you begin taking Social Security at age 67
Estimated benefits from age 62 to 70
Social Security break-even age
Your break-even point is the age at which the cumulative amount you may receive if you file later equals the cumulative amount you may receive if you file early. It signifies the point at which it may "pay off" to wait.
Age 77.4 is the age at which the total number of dollars you receive if you retire at age 70 exceeds the total number of dollars you'll receive if you retire at 67.
About these results
We estimated and then indexed your past earnings by using your current annual salary, the national average wage indexing series and the Social Security Administration's annual wage base.
We assume that people age 18 to 22 are less likely to have full-time earnings.
Future earnings are based on correct annual salary and expected annual salary increase.
With the exception of the indexing factor applied to past earnings, the calculations do not include an inflation rate. The results are presented in today's dollars.
- You must apply for the $255 lump-sum payment within two years of the date of death in order to be eligible .
- You can apply for Social Security benefits over the phone or at any Social Security office. The national toll-free number is 800-772-1213, or you can find a local office on the Social Security website.
- Child's birth certificate or other proof of birth or adoption.
- Proof of the parent's marriage to the child's natural or adoptive parent if they are a step-child.
- Proof of the child's U.S. citizenship or lawful alien status if the child was not born in the U.S.
- W-2 forms or self-employment tax returns (if the child had earnings last year).
- Proof of the parent's death (and U.S. military discharge papers, if applicable).
- Adult Disability Report (Form SSA-3368) and Authorization to Disclose Information to the Social Security Administration (Form SSA-827) if the child is an adult who was disabled before age 22.
Article sources
- 1. Social Security Administration. Benefits for Children. Accessed Dec 23, 2025.
- 2. Social Security Administration. Who can get child’s benefits? . Accessed Dec 23, 2025.
- 3. Social Security Administration. Survivors Benefits. Accessed Dec 23, 2025.
- 1. Social Security Administration. Benefits for Children. Accessed Dec 23, 2025.
- 3. Social Security Administration. Survivors Benefits. Accessed Dec 23, 2025.
