Auxiliary Benefits

Auxiliary benefits, sometimes called dependent benefits, refers to a recipient’s family members who may be eligible to receive assistance. When someone is determined eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, certain family members can also be eligible for a portion of benefits, based upon that taxes the primary beneficiary paid into the Social Security taxes while employed.

These benefits are based on the worker’s earnings record and are paid in addition to the primary beneficiary’s retirement or disability payments. To qualify, family members must meet certain age, relationship, and dependency requirements, and the total amount paid to the family cannot exceed a set maximum.

To be eligible for auxiliary benefits; one must be:

Spouses: Those currently married to recipients can get auxiliary benefits if they are (1) aged 62 or older; or (2) have a child under 16 in their care or a disabled child in his or her care. Divorced spouses may only receive benefits if they were married to the beneficiary for more than 10 years.


Children: Children of recipients may also be eligible to receive benefits provided they meet the criteria. To get benefits, the child must be unmarried and under 18. A child of a recipient who is disabled themselves and was diagnosed with a disability prior to the age of 22 may receive benefits if they are a Disabled Adult Child. Any child that might receive these benefits must also meet the definition of child by the SSA, meaning they must be the biological or adoptive child of the beneficiary. A child must also have been dependent either at the beginning of the worker’s disability, when they were last entitled to disability, or when the child’s application for auxiliary benefits was filed.