Im raisiny 2 of my grand children,the boy is 11 and his mom and dad are both dead,neither ever worked,is there anyway i can get help for him,im retired and will be 67 in june,my granddaughter is 6,her mom is dead and her dad is in prison. Just wondering if i can get social security for either or both of them

Hi,

If you're drawing Social Security benefits on your own work record, it sounds like at least the 11 year-old may qualify for child's benefits on your record. Grandchildren can only qualify for child's benefits on a grandparent's record if both of their parents are deceased or disabled, or if they are adopted by the grandparent (https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0200306235). If you think that one or both of the children may qualify on your record, you should contact Social Security to file a claim on their behalf.

Best, Jerry