Can an adult disabled since childhood receive benefits on a parents earnings record?
An adult disabled before age 22 may be eligible for child’s benefits if a parent is deceased or receiving retirement or disability benefits. We consider this a “child’s” benefit because it is paid on a parent’s Social Security earnings record. We make the disability decision using the disability rules for adults. The “adult child”—including an adopted child, or, in some cases, a stepchild, grandchild, or stepgrandchild—must be unmarried, age 18 or older, and have a disability that started before age 22. For more information, see Benefits For Disabled Children.
