If I remember correctly, the money goes to a guardian for the benefit of the child.
20 years ago I knew someone who’s husband was on a motorcycle and was run over and killed by a commercial truck driver (I think he was falling sleep or something.) She was a stay-at-home mom of 4 kids at the time. In the end between the settlement and the social security, she was able to continue to stay home to raise the children and college wasn’t going to be a problem either.
I haven’t thought of that family in years. In typing that out, I’m realizing that the American dream is still alive and well! Kids just have to be ready to sacrifice one of their parents to get it.
But that kid wasn’t orphaned. And I’m guessing that kid wasn’t getting social security. It’s possible parts of the settlement went into some kind of trust fund which the child wouldn’t have access to until reaching a certain age, or however else it was structured.
I have a pair of cousins twice removed whose father died, and their mom gets Social Security checks to help support them. Messed up part is the cousins live with my aunt (their great grandmother) because their mom and grandma are both too messed up to care for them, but if my aunt tried to get the SS money their mom would try to get the kids back (and neglect them) so she wouldn’t lose the check.
Survivor children of social security beneficiaries do get social security, even if it’s just one parent. It’s not particularly common because you’d need to be young enough to qualify as a child, and your parent needs to be old enough to qualify for social security benefits, but some dudes have kids in their 50s and 60s.
If I remember correctly, the money goes to a guardian for the benefit of the child.
20 years ago I knew someone who’s husband was on a motorcycle and was run over and killed by a commercial truck driver (I think he was falling sleep or something.) She was a stay-at-home mom of 4 kids at the time. In the end between the settlement and the social security, she was able to continue to stay home to raise the children and college wasn’t going to be a problem either.
I haven’t thought of that family in years. In typing that out, I’m realizing that the American dream is still alive and well! Kids just have to be ready to sacrifice one of their parents to get it.
But that kid wasn’t orphaned. And I’m guessing that kid wasn’t getting social security. It’s possible parts of the settlement went into some kind of trust fund which the child wouldn’t have access to until reaching a certain age, or however else it was structured.
Kids get survivor benefits through social security from each parent lost. My 8 year old son gets $900/mo. I’m sure it varies by… everything.
I have a pair of cousins twice removed whose father died, and their mom gets Social Security checks to help support them. Messed up part is the cousins live with my aunt (their great grandmother) because their mom and grandma are both too messed up to care for them, but if my aunt tried to get the SS money their mom would try to get the kids back (and neglect them) so she wouldn’t lose the check.
Survivor children of social security beneficiaries do get social security, even if it’s just one parent. It’s not particularly common because you’d need to be young enough to qualify as a child, and your parent needs to be old enough to qualify for social security benefits, but some dudes have kids in their 50s and 60s.