Disability

• The Social Security Administration distributes disability benefits to your spouse and dependent children once a month. Each eligible family member receives disability payments amounting to 50 percent of your disability rate. However, the Social Security Administration limits the maximum amount your family receives to 80 percent of your full benefit rate.
  
  

Survivors

• The Social Security survivors program distributes benefits to your loved ones when you pass away. Survivors benefits to your family members are based on their ages. For example, your spouse receives 100 percent of your benefit rate if she is at full retirement age. The full retirement age for survivors benefits is 66 if you're born after 1945 and 67 if you are born after 1962. However, she gets 71.5 to 99 percent if she's between age 60 to full retirement age. The maximum amount your family receives in survivors benefits cannot exceed 180 percent of your benefit rate.
  
  

Retirement

• Your family members are paid Social Security retirement benefits if you met the program's requirements. Their benefit payments amount to one-half of your full retirement rate. Like the disability program, the Social Security Retirement program limits the maximum amount of your family's retirement payments to 80 percent of your benefit rate.
  
  

Considerations

• The size of your family is another factor in reducing benefit payments. The larger your family is, the less each eligible member gets. Your dependent children receive Social Security benefits until they are age 18 or 19, if they are in secondary schools. Besides the regular benefits from the survivors program, your spouse and children are entitled to a special lump-sum payment of $255 as well.