§ 404.352. When does my entitlement to child's benefits begin and end?

(a) We will find your entitlement to child's benefits begins at the following times:

(1) If the insured is deceased, with the first month covered by your application in which you meet all other requirements for entitlement.

(2) If the insured is living and your first month of entitlement is September 1981 or later, with the first month covered by your application throughout which you meet all other requirements for entitlement.

(3) If the insured is living and your first month of entitlement is before September 1981, with the first month covered by your application in which you meet all other requirements for entitlement.

(b) We will find your entitlement to child's benefits ends at the earliest of the following times:

(1) With the month before the month in which you become 18 years old, if you are not disabled or a full-time student.

(2) With the second month following the month in which your disability ends, if you become 18 years old and you are disabled. If your disability ends on or after December 1, 1980, your entitlement to child's benefits continues, subject to the provisions of paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section, until the month before your termination month (§ 404.325).

(3) With the last month you are a full-time student or, if earlier, with the month before the month you become age 19, if you become 18 years old and you qualify as a full-time student who is not disabled. If you become age 19 in a month in which you have not completed the requirements for, or received, a diploma or equivalent certificate from an elementary or secondary school and you are required to enroll for each quarter or semester, we will find your entitlement ended with the month in which the quarter or semester in which you are enrolled ends. If the school you are attending does not have a quarter or semester system which requires reenrollment, we will find your entitlement to benefits ended with the month you complete the course or, if earlier, the first day of the third month following the month in which you become 19 years old.

(4) With the month before the month you marry. We will not find your benefits ended, however, if you are age 18 or older, disabled, and you marry a person entitled to child's benefits based on disability or person entitled to old-age, divorced wife's, divorced husband's, widow's, widower's, mother's, father's, parent's, or disability benefits.

(5) With the month before the month the insured's entitlement to old-age or disability benefits ends for a reason other than death or the attainment of full retirement age (as defined in § 404.409). Exception: We will continue your benefits if the insured person was entitled to disability benefits based on a finding that drug addiction or alcoholism was a contributing factor material to the determination of his or her disability (as described in § 404.1535), the insured person's benefits ended after 36 months of payment (see § 404.316(e)) or 12 consecutive months of suspension for noncompliance with treatment (see § 404.316(f)), and the insured person remains disabled.

(6) With the month before the month you die.

(7) With the month in which the divorce between your parent (including an adoptive parent) and the insured stepparent becomes final if you are entitled to benefits as a stepchild and the marriage between your parent (including an adoptive parent) and the insured stepparent ends in divorce.

(c) If you are entitled to benefits as a disabled child age 18 or over and your disability is based on a finding that drug addiction or alcoholism was a contributing factor material to the determination of disability (as described in § 404.1535), we will find your entitlement to benefits ended under the following conditions:

(1) If your benefits have been suspended for a period of 12 consecutive months for failure to comply with treatment, with the month following the 12 months unless you are otherwise disabled without regard to drug addiction or alcoholism (see § 404.470(c)).

(2) If you have received 36 months of benefits on that basis when treatment is available, regardless of the number of entitlement periods you may have had, with the month following such 36-month payment period unless you are otherwise disabled without regard to drug addiction or alcoholism.

(d)(1) Your benefits may be continued after your impairment is no longer disabling if—

(i) You are participating in an appropriate program of vocational rehabilitation services, employment services, or other support services, as described in § 404.327(a) and (b);

(ii) You began participating in the program before the date your disability ended; and

(iii) We have determined under § 404.328 that your completion of the program, or your continuation in the program for a specified period of time, will increase the likelihood that you will not have to return to the disability benefit rolls.

(2) We generally will stop your benefits with the earliest of these months—

(i) The month in which you complete the program; or

(ii) The month in which you stop participating in the program for any reason (see § 404.327(b) for what we mean by “participating” in the program); or

(iii) The month in which we determine under § 404.328 that your continuing participation in the program will no longer increase the likelihood that you will not have to return to the disability benefit rolls.

Exception to paragraph (d) : In no case will we stop your benefits with a month earlier than the second month after the month your disability ends, provided that you meet all other requirements for entitlement to and payment of benefits through such month.

(e) If, after November 1980, you have a disabling impairment (§ 404.1511), we will pay you benefits for all months in which you do not do substantial gainful activity during the reentitlement period (§ 404.1592a) following the end of your trial work period (§ 404.1592). If you are unable to do substantial gainful activity in the first month following the reentitlement period, we will pay you benefits until you are able to do substantial gainful activity. (Earnings during your trial work period do not affect the payment of your benefits during that period.) We will also pay you benefits for the first month after the trial work period in which you do substantial gainful activity and the two succeeding months, whether or not you do substantial gainful activity during those succeeding months. After those three months, we cannot pay you benefits for any months in which you do substantial gainful activity.

[68 FR 4707, Jan. 30, 2003, as amended at 70 FR 36506, June 24, 2005; 75 FR 52621, Aug. 27, 2010]