Hi there - both my husband and I are disabled and have been for 9 and 6 years, respectively. We receive SSDI from our own record - he receives $2000 and I receive $1500. We also have 6 children who receive auxiliary benefits only: 4 under my husbands work record get 250 each and 2 under my work record get 375 each. I was told that our accounts can be combined to allow more benefits for our children. Can you tell me more about this?

Hi. What you're referring to is a combined family maximum benefit (CFMB). Combining the family maximums from two or more accounts can potentially allow higher auxiliary (e.g. child) benefits to be payable.

The only way that your and your husband's family maximums could be combined is if at least one of the children you mention is potentially eligible for benefits on both of your accounts. Children can actually only be paid on one parent's account or the other, not both, but in order to allow the family maximums to be combined at least one child must at least be technically entitled on both accounts.

If any of the six children you mention are the biological child of you and your husband, then they could almost certainly be at least technically entitled on both of your accounts. But, if they could all only qualify as step-children on the other parent's account, then that would come down to a complicated one-half support determination. In any case, though, it sounds like you should contact Social Security to discuss your options with them.

Best, Jerry