413.When are child's insurance benefit NOT payable?

The child's insurance benefit may not be payable for some months if any of the conditions below are met:

  1. The child works and earns more than the yearly exempt amount (see §1803);

  2. The child works outside the U.S. for more than 45 hours in a month (see §1823);

  3. The child is an alien who is outside the U.S. for more than six full calendar months in a row and does not meet an exception to the alien non-payment provision or does not meet the additional U.S. residency requirements for dependents and survivors (see 1843-1846). For information on payments while outside the U.S., see “Your Payments While You Are Outside the United States” at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10137.html and the Payments Abroad Screening Tool at www.ssa.gov/international/payments_outsideUS.html

  4. The child is in a U.S. Treasury restricted country where we cannot send U.S. government payments (see 1847-1849). For information on payments while outside the U.S., see “Your Payments While You Are Outside the United States” at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10137.html;

  5. The child is in an SSA restricted country and does not meet an exception (see 1847-1849). For more information on payments while outside the U.S., see “Your Payments While You Are Outside the United States” at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10137.html;

  6. The insured parent had been deported, and the child is an alien who is outside the U.S. For information on payments while outside the U.S., see http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10137.html;

  7. The disabled child, age 18 or over, refuses to accept vocational rehabilitation services without good cause;

    NOTE: The child's insurance benefit may be payable for all months while the disabled child is still under age 19, if a full-time student, as defined in §344.

  8. The disabled child, age 18 or over, is married to a retirement insurance beneficiary whose benefit is not payable because of work activity;

  9. The disabled child, age 18 or over, is married to a disability insurance beneficiary whose benefit is not payable because of refusal to accept vocational rehabilitation services without good cause;

  10. The child is confined within the U.S. in a jail, prison, or other penal institution or correctional facility for conviction of a felony;

    NOTE: The benefit may still be payable if the child is participating in a rehabilitation program that has been specifically approved for the child by a court of law. It must be expected that the child will be able to engage in substantial work upon release within a reasonable time.

  11. The child does not have a Social Security Number, and the child or his or her parent, guardian, or person acting on the child's behalf refuses to apply for one; or

  12. The child is in the United States and is neither a U.S. citizen nor an alien lawfully present.

  13. The parent requested voluntary suspension of his or her retirement benefits on or after April 30, 2016.

  14. The disabled child who is full retirement age requests voluntary suspension of his or her own retirement benefits.

The conditions regarding nonpayment of benefits are discussed in more detail in Chapter 18.

Last Revised: Sept. 23, 2016