Children of Disabled Parent and Work Rules

[vos]

I am legally blind and receive SSDI. I have 3 children (ages 14, 13, and 12) who each receive payments based on my eligibility.

My 14-year-old would ike to get a part-time job, but I can't find any publication specifically addressing whether her benefit will be reduced because of her earnings.

When I was a kid, I got SSI, but when I got my first job, $1 came out of my check for every $2 I earned. I'm not sure if the same rules apply to my daughter or if rules for dependent children are different from those for SSI.

Another question occurs to me based on my reading of the SS publication "Benefits for Children". "Within a family, a child can receive up to half of the parent

[jsm]

https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0302501021

The Annual Earnings Test applies to all dependents under FRA, full retirement age, although I was unable to find a specific reference about minor children, although there is lots and lots of info about retirees and the AET.  In 2021, the AET amount under FRA is $18,960.

https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0302501030#b

The monthly earnings test is often applied to an individual's retirement year, the first year of entitlement, called the grace year. It can also be applied to the child's last year of entitlement, the year they turn age 18.  With the monthly earnings test, it is the amount earned per month that determine payment, rather than the annual amount.  A child turns 18 and can be paid through that month. The child (now adult) could get a job and earn over the AET amount after age 18, but the monthly earnings test would then apply and will not affect payment before age 18.  This needs to be reported to SSA and is often overlooked by the 18 year old (or their payee). 

[jsm]

And yes, the original benefit per child is up to 1/2 of the parent's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), but it is subject to the Family Maximum (FMAX) which can equal the PIA, in some cases. It is a complicated formula. The FMAX is like a pizza or apple pie.  If you divide it by two, each person gets 1/2. If you divide it by 3, or 4, or 5, each auxiliary gets a proportional share, less than 1/2 per person.  When your oldest child turns 18, benefits will increase for the two remaining. But when the second child turns 18, the benefit for the remaining child will remain the same.

[Just Me]

I remember reading that the amount of earnings applied to a spouse receiving Caregiver Benefits was the same amount applied to a child receiving Dependent Benefits. But, I do not remember where I read it. A dollar or two was withheld for each few dollars earned up to at point. After that point, all monthly benefits for that month were withheld.