10 Surprising Ways Social Security Supports Families Beyond Retirement

If you asked a hundred people on the street what the Social Security Administration supports, the answer would likely be retirement. This is everything they know about this government program for millions of Americans, and understandably so. 

However, the reality is that there is far more to the Social Security program beyond just retirement. This is true when you consider that over 67 million Americans benefit from this program, or one out of every five people in the country and their families. 

10. Tax Credits

An indirect benefit of the Social Security program is the addition of Social Security numbers, which are required for dependents to claim tax credits like a Child Tax Credit or Earned Income Tax Credit. In 2025, these credits provide up to $2,000 per child for the Child Tax Credit or $7,430 for EITC, an income boost for low and middle-income households. 

Tax Benefits

Any time a tax credit can be linked to a Social Security number, there is an opportunity for a family to afford better childcare, education, or even repaying debt. A single parent may even be able to receive survivor benefits and can use the EITC to help cover rent, which would give them even more support in 2025 to provide for a family. 

9. Poverty Reduction

While not a direct way of supporting families, it’s important to note that Social Security supports families as one of the more effective anti-poverty programs in the United States. Without this program, poverty rates for families would be higher, which would only further strain resources, especially social services. 

Poverty Impact

Adding Social Security to a home’s income level has helped break cycles of multi-generational poverty. This includes providing support to children, which has allowed them to seek education and better healthcare, which are generally two long-term consequences that are out of reach because of poverty. 

8. Cost-of-Living Adjustments

As part of the Social Security program, benefit amounts are adjusted annually to help keep pace with inflation. These cost-of-living adjustments, or COLAs, support families and individuals in maintaining purchasing power as inflation increases the cost of goods and services. 

COLA Details

Traditionally, any cost-of-living increase is announced in October and applied to benefits beginning in January of the following year. It’s important to note that COLA adjustments vary yearly and, in some cases, are very small. Other years have seen more substantial increases to better assist anyone who relies on Social Security as a primary income source. 

7. Supplemental Security Income for Children

Any child considered to have a severe disability is said to qualify for Supplemental Security Income. If family income is low, payments for this program could be as much as $943 per month in 2025. The program is designed to help cover any medical costs, therapy, or equipment necessary for the disability. 

Child Development

This program hopes to enhance the child’s quality of life, support families, and ease the financial burden. A family currently struggling to afford something like a wheelchair will find this benefit to be a difference-maker. This can reduce poverty levels for families in a long-term caregiving situation for children. 

6. Divorced Spouses

The Social Security program recognizes the contributions of divorced spouses and provides benefits using the former spouses’ earning history. The program’s goal is to ensure that any divorced individual and family that spent a significant portion of their life in a marriage, which may have included children, is not left without a financial safety net. 

Divorced Qualifications 

For any divorced spouse to qualify, the marriage must have lasted 10 years and the divorced spouse must continue to be unmarried. In addition, and most importantly, the ex-spouse must be eligible for either Social Security retirement or disability benefits. If all qualifications are met, the divorced spouse can receive up to 50% of the ex-spouse’s benefit once they hit full retirement age (67). 

5. Supplemental Security Income

Supplemental Security Income is a program within the Social Security system designed to support low-income individuals and families, including those who are “aged, blind, or disabled”. Funding for this program comes from general tax revenues and does not utilize payroll taxes, which means it applies to families without a significant work history. 

SSI Stability

Any adult with limited income, currently under $2,000 for an individual in 2025, can receive SSI to help support a family and household. Payments as part of this program are designed specifically to help families avoid eviction, purchase necessities like food and clothing, and pay for any necessary utilities. This program explicitly shows how Social Security addresses family needs beyond retirement income. 

4. Children’s Benefits

In some situations, the Social Security program can benefit children if a parent becomes retired, disabled, or is deceased. The benefits as part of the Children’s program are designed to ensure any immediate financial needs are met. The child must be unmarried and under 18 years of age. Disabled adult children can also receive benefits if their disability began before turning 22. 

Children’s Qualifiers

A child eligible for this program would likely receive up to 50% of the parent’s retirement or disability benefit. If it’s determined to be a survivor benefit, the child may receive up to 75% of the deceased parent’s benefit. A family maximum benefit is in place, so the total amount payable to families cannot exceed a certain amount. 

3. Disability Benefits

One of the other main functions of the Social Security program is to provide Social Security Disability Insurance to anyone unable to work due to a medical condition. This program has long been referred to as a safety net, and the Social Security Administration estimated the number of benefit recipients to be 11.296 million Americans as of January 2025. 

Disability Details

The hope is that the Social Security Disability program ensures that families are not taking out their entire savings to cover essentials like food, rent, and medical bills. If you are enrolled in this program, it also provides access to Medicare after a two-year waiting period, which can further reduce any medical cost burden on a family as long as the individual in question has a severe, long-term disability that would prevent substantial work. 

2. Survivor Benefits

Should a worst-case scenario happen and a spouse be left alone, Social Security benefits can help replace any lost income and support a family trying to overcome a difficult time. Eligibility for the program will depend on the deceased worker’s earnings and the worker’s relationship to the deceased. 

Survivor Details

To qualify for Survivor Benefits, you must be at least 60 (or 50 if disabled). If a surviving spouse also cares for a child under 16, they can receive benefits regardless of age. Any children under 18 (or 19 if still in high school) and disabled adult children may also be eligible for benefits. 

1. Spousal Benefits

One of the most important aspects of the Social Security program is the spousal benefits award, a critical component of any financial support a spouse would rely on should someone pass away. This is especially true for any spouse who might not have a deep work history, as their primary role was that of a child caregiver. 

Spousal Details

To support families, the Social Security program allows spouses to receive a portion, up to 50%, of the higher-earning spouse’s Social Security benefits. To be eligible, you must be married for at least one year and the working spouse must be eligible or already receiving benefits at Full Retirement Age (67). 

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