The questions around eligibility of a spouse or children for a dependent’s payment can be complicated. This video from the Motley Fool site gives a good explanation:
Dan Caplinger, The Motley Fool’s director of investment planning, answers a question from a reader about whether someone on Social Security disability is also entitled to have a spouse receive benefits. Children of SSDI (“regular Social Security”) recipients, but not SSI recipients, are eligible for a payment up to age 18. Dan notes that a spouse generally has to wait until age 62 — the normal early retirement age — in order to get benefits. But there’s an exception to that rule for those who are caring for a child under the age of 16. In general, coordinating your disability benefits with a spouse’s benefits can be tricky, but it’s worth looking at to maximize your total income. Click here for the video: http://www.fool.com/retirement/general/2014/04/28/social-security-disability-will-your-spouse-get-be.aspx