SSA Survivors Benefits

<p>I am a widow and both of my children receive survivors benefits. This money is intended to be used as support and not saved for college, etc. I have used the money for mortgage payments and other necessities. My d1 turned 18 in August, is now a senior in HS. At the age of 18, the SSA benefit was sent to her, rather than to me. It is deposited into a joint account that I opened for her and me. I use the $ in the joint account to pay for necessities.</p>

<p>Does she/I have to claim/file the SSA survivor's benefits on the FAFSA? The benefit ends when she graduates from HS. I don't think I have to file it, but it is part of the money in her checking account. Should I have her write me a check every month so I can put the $ into my checking account, where it used to be? </p>

<p>Thanks for any help.</p>

<p>I need to know this also…any help?</p>

<p>Does the checking account list your child as the primary on the account? (Is the account under his SSN?)</p>

<p>If it is, I don’t think it makes any difference who writes the checks so long as you note on the check what the money is being used for. (i.e. Susie’s portion of the mortgage, 1/3 of the household utilities, 1/3 of the weekly grocery bill, Susie’s medical insurance premium.)</p>

<p>When my d started receiving benefits in her own name, I actually had <em>her</em> write the checks for her high school tuition, car & health insurance, medical co-pays etc. and had her buy her own clothing. Just to make the book-keeping cleaner and more transparent.</p>

<p>Your d doesn’t have to claim her SS survivor benefits as income on the FAFSA, but the amount of monies in her checking account on the day you file the FAFSA will be counted as <em>her</em> asset when the college assesses her portion of the EFC. (Student assets are less protected than parental assets.)</p>

<p>This does not mean you should transfer all the money out of her account and into yours every month. (The SSA may look suspiciously at that.) But if her benefits are used to directly support her, then that money should be used make payments of her expenses every month so that any excess doesn’t linger in her account.</p>

<p>Question, are there different types of survivor benes? My kids lose their SS benefits at age 18, even if attending college.</p>

<p>Also, I always add them back into FAFSA under ‘untaxed income’ (for the parent, since checks were coming to me).</p>

<p>My D loses her ss benefit at 18 also. What do they think - that a kid with a hs diploma can immediately move out and support themselves on a minimum wage job?</p>

<p>I know it seems unfair. When my dad died when i was 18, I got survivor benefits until I was 22 so long as i was a full time college student. </p>

<p>I was told by my case manager at SSA, that this change of policy came about because of student loans. The reasoning is that your student will eligible for federal student loans and that <em>ought</em> to cover your tuition at a community college.</p>

<p>And kids lose their survivor benefits at age 18 or when they graduate from high school. Whichever comes later.</p>

<p>Isn’t it amazing?
I also received SSA benefits till age 22 while in college back in the 70s.
It was immensely helpful AND needed.</p>

<p>We are dealing with a similar nightmare here in NJ right now. State funding for disabled high school graduates put on hold while they work through our ‘financial crisis’. Vulnerable, disabled graduates waitlisted for needed day services through DDD. Horrible.</p>

<p>‘They’ just decide that an 18 year old is fully cooked and able to support themselves.
Yikes.</p>

<p>Well, a minimum wage job would yield about $15K per year, before taxes. It would be pretty tough to survive on that without help.</p>

<p>Entomom, untaxed SS money had to be reported until this year … effective 09-10, untaxed portions of SS are not reportable. It’s made verification a bit of a headache, as we have more families that appear to have 0 income due to not reporting SS … but it’s been a blessing for some of our lower income families.</p>