Benefits for Children After a Parent Dies in South Dakota

When a parent dies in South Dakota, dependent children have access to multiple benefit streams simultaneously. Most families claim one or two and miss the rest. This post covers every category of child survivor benefit available in South Dakota — Social Security, SDRS family pensions, workers' compensation, and VA — and explains how they interact.

Social Security Survivor Benefits for Children

Children of a deceased Social Security-covered worker receive 75% of the deceased parent's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) per month. This continues until:

• Age 18
• Age 19 if the child is still attending high school full-time
• Any age if the child became disabled before age 22 (benefits continue for life)

The Family Maximum Benefit caps total household Social Security payments. If multiple family members collect simultaneously — a surviving spouse plus multiple children — the individual benefits may be reduced proportionally to stay within the family cap. The family cap is typically 150%–180% of the deceased worker's PIA.

How to apply: Contact Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 or visit a South Dakota SSA field office. Child benefits are applied for simultaneously with the surviving spouse benefit application. Children's benefits are paid to the surviving parent or legal guardian to manage on the child's behalf.

SDRS Family Benefit (When the Deceased Was a Public Employee)

If the deceased parent was a South Dakota Retirement System (SDRS) member who died while actively employed with at least three years of contributory service, and the family includes dependent children under age 19, a Family Benefit is payable.

The SDRS Family Benefit equals the greater of:

• 25% of the member's Final Average Compensation, OR
• The member's unreduced accrued retirement benefit

This benefit is payable while dependent children are under 19 (or still in high school). When the last child ages out of eligibility, the benefit transitions to the Surviving Spouse Benefit structure.

Note that the SDRS Family Benefit and the Surviving Spouse Benefit have a specific sequencing — the Family Benefit pays first while children are eligible, then transitions. SDRS can walk you through the exact transition timeline for your specific situation.

Contact SDRS at (605) 773-3731 to initiate a survivor claim.

Workers' Compensation Benefits for Dependent Children

If the deceased parent died as a result of a workplace injury or occupational illness, South Dakota workers' compensation provides two separate benefits for dependent children:

Monthly dependent benefit: Each dependent child receives $50 per month, payable until:

• Age 18 in most cases
• Age 22 if the child is enrolled as a full-time student
• For life, if the child is physically or mentally disabled and remains dependent

Post-secondary education stipend: This is one of the most underutilized workers' comp benefits in South Dakota. Any dependent child enrolled full-time at an accredited post-secondary institution in South Dakota is entitled to an additional $2,000 per year for up to five years.

The education stipend is in addition to the monthly $50 benefit, not in place of it. It requires affirmative application — the family must notify the workers' comp carrier of the child's enrollment status. Don't assume the carrier will offer it proactively.

VA Benefits for Children of Veterans

If the deceased was a veteran who died from service-connected causes:

VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) pays $421 per month per dependent child under 18 (or under 23 if in school) in addition to the surviving spouse's DIC payment.

If there is no surviving spouse, children can receive DIC independently. The amount for children without a surviving spouse follows a separate calculation based on number of children.

VA Survivors Pension (for wartime veterans with non-service-connected deaths): Children's annual income is used in the household income calculation for the means-tested pension. A surviving parent receiving Survivors Pension may receive a higher benefit depending on how many dependent children are in the household.

Stacking Child Benefits: What's Possible

These benefit streams don't cancel each other out. A child can simultaneously receive:

The combined monthly value can be substantial, particularly in cases involving a public employee death or workplace fatality.

What Happens When Children Reach 18

Most child benefits terminate at age 18. Key exceptions:

• Social Security continues to 19 for full-time high school students
• SDRS and VA benefits also have similar student extension provisions
• Workers' comp extends to 22 for full-time students
• Disabled children may retain benefits indefinitely

Plan ahead for the age-18 transition. In the year before a child turns 18, confirm which benefits will continue and under what conditions.

Coordinating All Benefits for Your Family

Claiming all available benefits for children requires dealing with multiple agencies simultaneously — SSA, SDRS, a workers' comp carrier, and the VA each have their own application processes and timelines.

The South Dakota Survivor Benefits Navigator provides a consolidated checklist covering all of these benefit streams, organized by the deadlines and application requirements specific to South Dakota.

See more South Dakota guides →