The Social Security Administration has released two new “toolkits,” including one designed to help advocates and third-party organizations educate people about survivor’s benefits.
“Social Security Survivors Benefits Toolkit — A Guide for Organizations” is a PDF that can be found on the SSA website. It contains information about:
- Eligibility requirements
- Types of evidence the SSA needs when you apply for survivor’s benefits
- How to apply for the benefits
The eight-page toolkit also features a “frequently asked questions” section and an appendix of definitions of key terms relevant to survivor’s benefits.
Survivor’s benefits are for eligible family members of people who both worked and had Social Security taxes withheld from their paychecks before they died.
Spouses, divorced spouses, children and dependent parents all may qualify for this type of benefit.
In addition to getting a monthly payment, those who receive survivor’s benefits may be eligible for Medicare health insurance.
The other new resource from the SSA is “Social Security Benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Payments for Children: A Guide for School Professionals Toolkit.” It’s designed to educate teachers and school counselors about SSI benefits for students.
SSI benefits are for people who are elderly, blind or disabled, and who have little to no income.
Children with disabilities can qualify for SSI benefits if their families have limited income. Children in foster care also can qualify.
In some situations, a child might be eligible to receive both SSI and Social Security benefits. But according to the Social Security Administration, many families with eligible children don’t know that these programs are available to them.
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