Denver Social Security Attorney Explains Parents’ Benefits

As a Denver Colorado Social Security attorney, I see a lot of clients who are in a panic about their financial future.  That’s because by the time they see me, they are already in a position where they need help right away.  Most parents try to avoid the subject, but cannot help but wonder what would happen to them financially if their spouse were to die prematurely.  Raising kids can be an expensive ordeal, and without child support or their spouse’s income, most Colorado parents cannot maintain their lifestyle for very long.  Even life insurance payments are not enough to last until the children are self-supporting.  That is where Social Security parents’ benefits are needed.

If your spouse were to die, leaving you to take care of your children alone, you may be entitled to more than just the standard Social Security payments for the children.  In many cases, you will also be able to collect a Mother’s or Father’s benefit.

The guidelines for determining this are as follows:

• You must be the widow or widower of the insured;

• You must apply for the benefits, or you must have been entitled to the benefits for at least one month before the insured died;

• You are unmarried but were married to the insured for at least ten years;

• You have in your care the insured’s child, who is entitled to the child’s benefits, and he or she is under 16 years of age or disabled; 

Unlike the benefits paid to children when their parent dies (which will usually continue through age 18), parents’ benefits stop when the children reach the age of 16. 

In order to gain a full understanding of the Social Security law and how the death benefit applies to parents, consult with a Denver Colorado Social Security attorney.