Auxiliary Benefits

One of the great things about the SSDI program is that some family members of successful SSDI applicants may also receive “auxiliary benefits.”  Auxiliary benefits equal 50% of the applicant’s benefit (or 75% of the applicant’s benefit if applicant has died).  This means that if the applicant’s monthly benefit amount, or PIA, is $1,500, eligible family members will usually receive $750 per month in auxiliary benefits. (If there are multiple eligible family members they will split the $750.)  Eligible family members include: (1) a spouse if he or she has a minor child under the age of 16 or a disabled child in his or her care, or if the spouse is at least 62 years old (this also applies to a divorced spouse if the marriage lasted at least 10 years); and (2) dependent and unmarried children who are minors (under age 18), high school students under the age of 19, or who became disabled before the age of 22.