What Is An "eligible Family Member"?

[MikeS]

Hi all:

Looking over my old SSDI information from 2003, I noticed a statement under "Your Disability Benefits".

It says, "You and your eleigible family members could get up to a monthly total of $1500.50". That's about $400 dollars more a month than I get now.

What do they mean by "eligible family member"?

I don't have children but I am married.

Any thoughts?

Thank you,

Mike S.

[Testvet]

when they saend those statements out they assume you have children, most people do at home, you might even have a grand child living with you that might be covered so they were just showing you the Max you would see, in my case I got 1600 a month and my son who lives with his mother gets 800 a month the chiildren get half of what your entitlement is, it doesn;t matter if I had 4 kids then I would still only get a check for 800 a month for the kids 200 each child but since I have one kid he gets the whole 800 and I can promise you my ex is delighted, the check is there every month and she doesn't even have to call me. Now she just keeps wanting to know how much my son is going to get out of my VA disability when it is approved. She is something. Don't ya just love ex's lol I hope that kind of explains it Mike

[Guest Namvet6567]

Mikey, your ex should also get paid, if your son is under 16yo. Eligible family members includes step-children, if you married someone w/minor children.

[Testvet]

Flip you have met my wife her kid is the same age as my 2 oldest, now my little souvenoir from Disney after Desert Storm just turned 14 lol hey we took adavantage of the 1/2 price disney cruise on the Big Red Boat after the war and they were giving those great discounts I figure he was made then lol. He's the only one I got that is a minor, my ex has remarried and what she files for I don't care, she married a CPA let them figure it out my son gets more SS than his step father Now that is a hoot. The CPA played games on his income for years so gets a minimal SS check at 68, me mine is based on 17 years at the Post Office working all the OT I could I was a workaholic the last few years I worked I was over 65,000 so SSD is good for us. Thanks god for SSD if it had been up to the VA we would have starved to death.

[Guest Namvet6567]

Mike, I know your wife - I was talking about your ex. I believe your step-children should be receiving SS, also, and maybe your wife, if you're disabled due to PTSD, for SSDI.

[Testvet]

my step shild is a grown adult and married so no they won;'t pay me for her and since her kids were not living in my home at the time I became disabled they are not eligible as my dependents now and if they were they would just take money away from my son, Flip I get my SSD as me and my wife she can file for hers when she turns 62 I doubt I will be around and then she can draw off mine and it will be a lot more than hers would be they told her they will pay her 75% of what my last check is for the rest of her life after she turns 60 providing I am dead at that point. lol

[Casper]

check out this site.

http://www.ssa.gov/dibplan/dfamily.htm

When you start receiving disability benefits, certain members of your family also may qualify for benefits on your record.