I frequently get questions from soon-to-be retirees who have heard about a “family maximum” that applies to Social Security benefits, and they are afraid that rule will reduce the benefits they are due as a couple.
So, here is the message of this column: The family maximum rules do not apply to a husband and wife getting Social Security benefits all by themselves. These maximum rules only come into play when children are involved. That usually means cases involving children getting benefits on a deceased parent’s account. Or it can mean limiting benefits to families of someone getting Social Security disability benefits. But it also can occasionally apply to retirees who still have minor children at home. When this does happen, it’s frequently because a retiree has an adult child who has been disabled since birth.
