Can i claim retired parents

This includes all money spent supporting them, including food stamps, housing assistance, and other government assistance. In certain situations, you can claim your parent as a dependent and file as head of household HOH. If you use the worksheet, keep it with your copy of your return for your records.

Can you claim yourself as a dependent? Can I claim my parents as qualifying relative dependents? See the examples below for more information. Get Your Tax Refund Date. What is DocuClix? Security About eFile. Where Is My Refund? How to Check Refund Status efile.

Mailing Addresses Contact eFile. Sign In Start Now. Join Taxesfaction! More eFiler Reviews. Why Choose eFile. Talk to a Specialist. By clicking Talk to a Specialist , you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use. Our team, or our partner providers, may contact you via a system that can auto-dial. Your consent is not required to use our service. The hard part is over. I'm matching you with one of our specialists who will be calling you in the next few minutes.

Don't want to wait? Skip to the front of the line by calling Subscribe to Our Newsletter. Sign Up. OK Cancel. For example, a year-old spouse could apply for survivor benefits now and then switch to a retirement benefit based on their own work history at age 62 or later , if that would result in a higher monthly payment. If you are divorced from a retired worker, you're eligible to receive an amount equal to one-half of your former spouse's PIA , provided you were married for at least 10 years.

The rules are similar to those for spousal benefits described above, with a notable exception: You can begin receiving benefits even before your former spouse has begun to do so. However, you have to be at least 62 years old, and the divorce must have been finalized for at least two years if you have not yet reached your normal retirement age. Divorced spouses who had more than one marriage that lasted at least 10 years do not receive multiple benefit checks or one for each marriage. But the Social Security Administration does automatically choose the former marriage that will yield the largest benefit to the ex-spouse.

Children can qualify for a benefit as the survivor of a deceased worker or as the dependent of a living parent who receives Social Security retirement or disability benefits. Children need to be one of the following:.

A dependent child can receive up to half of the benefit of a parent who is receiving retirement or disability benefits. If you are taking care of a child and receiving benefits, then their benefits may stop at a different time than your own. If grandchildren become dependents of their grandparents due to the death of their own parents or for other reasons, they can be eligible to receive benefits based upon the earnings record of either of their grandparents.

Great-grandchildren do not qualify for dependent benefits, however. Children with disabilities can be eligible for Social Security benefits, but the requirements and application process can be arduous. The family must also have few, if any, other financial options for providing care. A child who is 18 or older is also eligible if they suffer from a disability that began no later than age For families that are in this situation, it's worth noting that there are other government programs, such as Medicaid , that have provisions to assist children and adults with disabilities.

Some parents legally depend on a child due to economic circumstances or disability. The dependent parents of a deceased worker who is 62 or older can receive Benefits to dependents are subject to a maximum monthly retirement and survivor payout from Social Security to the family as a whole. Benefits to former spouses are not counted in your family maximum benefit, so they do not affect that maximum.

The Social Security Administration uses a complex formula to calculate the family benefit maximum. Social Security Administration. Accessed Oct.

Social Security. Portfolio Construction. Your Privacy Rights.