If you have been hit by a serious injury or illness that has left you unable to work, then seeking Social Security disability benefits may be your only option for financial stability. Those who are able to successfully obtain these benefits can pay off medical expenses and recoup their lost wages, but certain federal requirements must be met before the Social Security Administration will grant these benefits. However, as you may well know, disability may not only affect you, but your spouse, too.
Fortunately, the SSA can award SSD benefits to the spouses of disabled individuals. These benefits may be payable to a spouse when he or she is age 62 or older, unless his or her retirement Social Security payment is higher than the disability payment would be. Another instance in which the SSA would pay SSD benefits to a spouse is when he or she is caring for your child, if that child is under the age of 16 or is disabled. Here, there is no age limit for the spouse to receive benefits.
The amount a spouse receives is dependent upon many factors. The amount of the disabled individual’s benefits, the amount of retirement Social Security a spouse receives, and any addition retirement income, through a pension, for example, can all affect the amount of disability benefits paid to a spouse.
This highlights just another way that disabled individuals and their families can utilize the SSD benefits system to their advantage. To learn more about how to do so, these families may want to seek assistance form a qualified legal professional.
Source: Social Security Administration, “Disability Planner: Benefits For Your Spouse,” accessed on Jan. 22, 2017
