Sadly, thousands of Americans will not receive their Social Security checks as the program will no longer provide payments to more than 30,000 children beginning in January.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) reports that this year, almost 30,000 workers’ children had their Social Security benefits withdrawn. Certain Americans who are most in need get monthly benefits from Social Security.
The elderly, the disabled, and anyone left behind by deceased workers who meet the SSA’s requirements are given Social Security checks so they can have enough money to cover living expenses like housing, food, entertainment, and medical care. In certain cases, the checks can even help them pay off debt.
Goodbye to Social Security checks for thousands of Americans in 2025
As mentioned by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Kamala Harris‘ running partner, his family was dependent on Social Security payments following the death of his father; nevertheless, recent data indicates that the agency has observed a decline in the number of children getting benefits on a monthly basis since the start of the year.
Approximately 2.04 million children of deceased workers received Social Security benefits in January of this year; by July, that figure had decreased to roughly 2.01 million. Approximately thirty thousand children were disqualified from receiving Social Security survivor payments overall.
This has been a cause of miscommunication in recent months, and for good reason, according to Alex Beene, a financial literacy lecturer at the University of Tennessee at Martin, who spoke with Newsweek.
There have been declines in a number of Social Security recipient demographics, such as children of deceased workers, but the administration has not responded to questions and it is unclear why the decline occurred.
Though there are several reasons why the number of beneficiaries could decline, it is yet unknown why the number of children receiving Social Security through survivors’ benefits fell from January to July.
The SSA periodically assesses eligibility, which has the ability to remove participants from the program owing to criteria including age, income, or the child no longer being eligible for Social Security checks, according to Kevin Thompson, the founder of 9i Capital Group and a financial expert.
Additionally, he told Newsweek that certain income restrictions might need to be upheld. The earnings test may apply and the benefits may be reduced or terminated if the income threshold is exceeded in relation to certain constraints.
Thompson continued by saying that if a parent decides they need to take a second job in order to make ends meet, birth rates may also have an impact on their eligibility for survivor benefits.
Finally, he highlights the challenging balance of paying Social Security benefits to children under the age of 18, saying that while every attempt has been made to reduce the number of children getting these benefits, this may persist given that many are probably aging out and that the birth rates of Generation Y and Generation Z are declining.
Up until they turn 18 or get married, children are eligible to receive the surviving child benefit, which pays more than $1,000 on average each month. Recipients should be informed, nevertheless, that grandkids, adopted children, and stepchildren may also be eligible in some circumstances.
Can children qualify for the Supplemental Security Income program?
Children may be eligible to apply for Social Security benefits through the SSI program in certain circumstances, but they must fulfill certain standards. SSI benefits are financial aid, although some children with disabilities, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), may be qualified to apply.
These Social Security benefits might be lifesavers for families who are having difficulty covering the costs of therapies, treatments, and general care for a kid with ASD. Your autistic child must fulfill certain medical and financial standards in order to be eligible for SSI benefits.
Even though autism is recognized as one of the necessary characteristics, the severity of the disability must be demonstrated. The following medical standards must be met by candidates, according the most recent SSA guidelines:
- Social interaction deficits: Your child must have significant difficulty interacting with others.
- Verbal and nonverbal communication deficits: There must be clear limitations in both spoken and unspoken communication.
- Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior: This may include a limited range of interests or activities that are repetitive.