4 Factors Involving Your Children & Social Security Payments
Having a disability can impact many areas of your life, especially the way you raise your children. As you seek social security disability payments, there are several factors when it comes to supporting your children and getting approved for payments. By breaking down your individual situation and working with a social security lawyer, you can seek the most benefits and understand what types of payments are coming for you and your family. The following four factors are important to understand when it comes to your children and disability payments.
Disability & Child Qualifications
It takes a lot of money to raise a child. If you have children under the age of 18 and they are still attending school, then they may be eligible to receive benefits if you are too. These benefits can be used to help pay for the everyday care of a child. This includes food, school supplies, clothing, and money to go towards bills in the home. The amount that your child receives is typically a percentage of your amount. For example, if you are collecting $2,000 a month, your child may qualify for 50% of this payment and receive $1,000 a month. A social security lawyer can help set up these benefits and get them sent automatically with your own payments.
Multiple Children
When you are seeking benefits for your children, the amount of children that you have could impact the individual payments for each child. The total amount received for all of your children can only reach up to 180% of your benefit amount. This means that if you have three children, the benefit will be split among them so the total only reaches up to that amount. For example, if you are getting $2000 a month in disability benefits, then the three children will get $1,200 a month in benefits. The more children you have, the lower each benefit will be. A lawyer can help you plan out these benefits financially and set up various options. For example, if you have a child over 18, then they will not apply to the benefit payout. Instead, the older child will be eliminated from the calculations.
Child Custody Agreements
If you've gotten a divorce before or after your disability benefits began, then the specific child custody agreement could impact paid benefits. For example, if you do not have custody of your child, then the child may not be able to receive any payments on your behalf. If you have joint custody of the child, then your child may still get the full payment awarded to them based on your benefit payout. A social security lawyer has the ability to look over your custody agreement and decide the best course of action for getting benefits for your child.
Child Support Payments
If you currently pay child support, then the onset of social security disability payments can change the way that the support structure works. One way the disability payments can help is by proving your disability and the ability to make an income for child support payments. This can help lower payments or eliminate child support money that was owed during your disability approval period. If your child support is getting restructured, the disability that you are receiving will likely become a part of the income considerations when it comes to paying support. You may also collect disability payments but still be able to hold a part-time job. The income from that job can still apply to your child support payments. A lawyer can help you sort out these different options and set up a support payment structure that you can afford with your current benefits and monthly income.
Dealing with children and your disability can become really complicated. This is why it's a good idea to consult with a lawyer, such as Todd East Attorney at Law, about your case and get professional advice on multiple situations.
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