Incurring a disability may cause you great physical pain and suffering. But all the while, you may also experience emotional distress over not being able to participate in substantial gainful employment activity. They may be extra difficult if you were originally the primary wage earner of your household and have small children who depend on you financially. Well, you must understand that there are still ways of supporting your family through Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. Please continue reading to learn the SSDI benefits potentially available to your family members and how an experienced New Jersey SSDI benefits lawyer at The Law Offices of Sheryl Gandel Mazur can help you acquire them.
What SSDI benefits are available to my family members?
Simply put, if you receive SSDI benefits, your eligible family members may simultaneously get family benefits. Specifically, your spouse may be qualified if you have been married for at least one year and they are at least 62 years of age; or if they are helping you care for a child no older than 15; or if they are helping you care for a child of any age with a disability. Of note, your former spouse may also get these benefits if you were married for at least 10 years, or even if you were just in a legally valid non-marital relationship.
As for your children, they may be qualified so long as they are unmarried and no older than 17; or 18 or 19 years old enrolled in a full-time school; or any age with a disability developed before their 21st birthday. That said, there are only certain circumstances where your married children, stepchildren, adopted children, grandchildren, and stepgrandchildren may be considered for this program.
How can I get these benefits for my family members?
Generally speaking, your eligible family members may receive up to 50 percent of your SSDI benefits amount. Importantly, their total payout may still depend on your work history rather than their personal work records.
Nonetheless, these family benefits do not apply automatically, but rather you may have to add family members to your SSDI benefits plan through a separate process. Here, you may have to call the Social Security Administration (SSA), apply online, or visit a local office. With any of these avenues, you may be required to provide your family members’ Social Security Numbers, marriage certificates, birth certificates, and any other legal documentation relevant in proving their eligibility.
Hopefully, at the end of all this, your family members can get approved for benefits. But even so, there may be a five-month waiting period until they receive their first monthly payment. In conclusion, if you need legal representation fast, a skilled New Jersey SSDI benefits lawyer is prepared to step up. The team at The Law Offices of Sheryl Gandel Mazur looks forward to meeting you, working with you, and helping you.
