Some Young Adults can qualify for Adult SSDI on Parents' Work Record
SSDI is a benefit available to people who have paid taxes to the Social Security Administration (SSA), much like Social Security retirement. Even if your adult child never worked, he may be eligible for Social Security "child" benefits based on your Social Security earnings record (or the other parent's earnings record) if your child: 1. became disabled before his or her 22nd birthday 2. is 18 years of age or older 3. is not married, and 4. has a parent who begins to get Social Security retirement or disability benefits or has a parent with a qualifying work history who dies. The disabled adult "child" must meet the adult definition of disability. This is called a "child's benefit" because it is using the parent's earning record, not because the person needs to be young. In fact, when a parent doesn't begin collecting Social Security benefits until late in life, the disabled adult "child" is a young adult or sometimes even middle-...