Social Security: Parental benefits and application withdrawal rules

Social Security recipients have several options regarding benefit management, including parental benefits and the ability to withdraw early applications.

Parents of a deceased worker may qualify for benefits based on their child's work record if specific criteria are met. The child must have worked long enough to qualify for benefits, and the parent must be at least 62 years old. Additionally, the child must have provided at least half of the parent's financial support at the time of death. If only one parent claims the benefit, they receive 82.5% of the worker's primary insurance amount; if both claim it, they each receive 75%.

Individuals who began collecting benefits before reaching their full retirement age may also be able to withdraw their application to avoid permanent reductions in monthly payments. To do this, the request must be made within 12 months of the original application using form SSA-521. This option can only be used once.