My child receives derivative Social Security payments due to my disability, is that income for support?

California parents who are disabled or retired often inquire into how their child’s derivative benefits impact child support.

In California, the receipt of benefits by a child, or someone else on the child’s behalf, from federal programs or agencies such as Social Security, the Railroad Retirement Act, or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs by reason of the support obligor’s disability or retirement may be credited toward the parent who pays child support (unless those amounts were taken into account in making the support order).
In 2014, a California appellate court held that a child’s derivative social security benefits do not constitute part of the parents income for the purposes of support. Marriage of Daugherty (2014).  

What this means is that if your child is receiving additional Social Security due to your own disability or retirement, the other parent will have a reduced amount of child support per month.

Contact me at amanda@gordonfamilylaw.com for more information.