Auxiliary Benefits (Family Benefits)

Auxiliary benefits are monthly payments to eligible family members of a worker receiving SSDI. Qualifying dependents can include a spouse who is 62 or older or who cares for the worker's child under 16, unmarried children under 18 (or up to 19 if still in high school), and adult children disabled before age 22.

Each eligible dependent can generally receive up to 50 percent of the worker's primary insurance amount, but total payments to the family are capped by a family maximum, typically between 150 and 180 percent of the worker's benefit. When the cap applies, dependent shares are reduced proportionally while the worker's own benefit is unchanged. Auxiliary benefits exist only under SSDI; SSI pays nothing to dependents.