Age Requirement

• A t the time of the death, the benefiting child has to be below the age of 18 and should be unmarried. However, the child can also benefit if she is above 18 if she is a full-time student or has a disability. A disabled child must produce a doctor's report indicating the disability. The disability should have occurred before the age of 22 and the child should either have been living with the deceased in the same household or the deceased was contributing to her welfare. These benefits go directly to the person who has the custody of the child, who could be the surviving spouse.
  
  

Birth Certificate

• For the biological children, there has to be birth certificates. In case the child is adopted, the Social Security Administration must be aware of the adoption. When these children qualify, the benefits start within the same month of the death, until the age of 18, unless otherwise qualified such as in the case of disability. The death certificate of the deceased worker has to be produced.
  
  

Proof of Dependence

• There has to be proof of dependence to the deceased for the biological, adopted and step children. For the step child, proof of the relationship between the child and the deceased is required. This can be proved by a certificate for the marriage of the natural parent and the step parent of the child.
  
  

School Attendance Documents

• For school-age children, documents indicating full-time school attendance should be provided to the Social Security Administration. This applies to those children who are between the ages of 18 and 22 and not disabled.
  
  

Termination of the Benefits

• Unless the child is disabled and is entitled to lifetime income, the benefits cease to be provided when the child turns 18 and is not a student. If the child is still studying, he continues getting the benefits until he graduates. The benefits stop if the child dies, marries or is adopted or starts working and is no longer under the custody of the guardian.