• There is Social Security protection for children.children image by Marzanna Syncerz from Fotolia.com
  
  When employees or self-employed people pay Social Security taxes, they purchase more than just disability, retirement and Medicare benefits. Over three million children under age 18 receive Social Security benefits because a parent is retired, disabled or deceased. Dependents who receive these benefits can be the natural, adopted, step- or illegitimate children of the worker. Proofs required to establish benefit eligibility vary, according to the child's relationship with the parent.
  
  

Benefits for Children of a Retired or Disabled Worker

• Children of retired or disabled workers receive an amount equal to one-half of the worker's full benefit amount. The maximum payable to all beneficiaries is usually twice the worker's full benefit amount. Two children and the worker will have reached the maximum payable. Four children would receive the same total benefits as two, but divided up four ways.
  
  

Benefits for Children of a Deceased Worker

• Surviving children each receive 75 percent of what the deceased parent would have received. Social Security computes the deceased's benefit amount by using a formula that treats the year of death as if it were the year he reached full retirement age. The benefits payable are subject to a family maximum equal to twice this amount.
  
  

Benefits for Children Who Reach Age 18

• Benefits usually end when the child reaches age 18. If the child is still in high school, benefits can continue until the last month of attendance in high school or the child reaches age 19, whichever comes first. If a child is disabled, her benefits can continue after age 18, under Social Security's "Disabled Adult Child" benefit. The benefit amounts are the same as for minor children.
  
  

Medicare for Minor Children

• There are no Social Security disability benefits for minor children. However, minor children can receive Medicare when they have End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) and need dialysis or a kidney transplant. The child can qualify for Medicare to help pay for treatment of ESRD, even if the parent is not retired, disabled or deceased.
  
  

Child's Benefits on the Record of a Grandparent

• Minor children can receive child's benefits based on the Social Security record of a grandparent. Both parents or adopted parents must be either deceased or disabled, and the child must meet certain dependency and support requirements as of certain dates. The benefit amount based on the grandparent's record is the same as if he were the child of the grandparent--either 50 percent of a living grandparent's benefits, or 75 percent if the grandparent is deceased.