Due to a system that makes it difficult to pinpoint exactly who qualifies, many Black children do not receive the Social Security benefits to which they are entitled.
Based on a study by David Weaver, a former administrator, and researcher for the Social Security Administration, 46% of non-Black children receive survivor benefits, compared to 26% of Black minors who have lost a parent.
The Decline in Benefits for Black Children
The number of Black children receiving survivor benefits from the SSA has decreased by about 30,000 since 2009, the most recent year for which data were available.
9.6%, or roughly 975,000, of the 10.1 million Black children living in the United States in 2021 had at least one deceased parent, according to Census Bureau statistics.
Black children lost caregivers at a rate that was twice that of white children from April 2020 through December 2022.
Weaver called the findings startling and underlined that Social Security is a social insurance program and that its benefits should be dispersed equally.
Every American worker contributes to Social Security, and those who have worked long enough are qualified to receive benefits upon retirement or disability.
In the event that they pass away, their remaining relatives may also be eligible.
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Addressing the Racial Gap
The SSA hasn’t discussed this disparity in eligibility for children receiving survivor benefits much in public, probably in part because data on the racial makeup of beneficiaries has been lacking for years.
Yet, other studies have discovered racial eligibility discrepancies in several Social Security programs, with one finding that Black men are less likely to be covered for disability benefits.
Weaver suggested that lawmakers may address these concerns by changing the criteria for receiving survivor payments.
The major obstacle to children receiving the payments they are due is usually cited as not knowing that Social Security covers families surviving as well as retirees.
Many people are not aware of the benefit, which must be claimed on behalf of the kid by the surviving parent or caregiver.
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