From David Weaver, a former Social Security executive writing for ICT (emphasis added):
Just-released data indicate that about 25 percent of children in Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota, have lost a parent or sibling to death.
The childhood bereavement picture is very different in Union County,
South Dakota, where about 2 percent of children have lost a parent or
sibling to death. Ninety-three percent of individuals in Oglala Lakota County are American Indian (alone) and 94 percent of individuals in Union County are White.
South Dakota is not an isolated example. In western states, childhood bereavement is far more likely in tribal areas. ...
Parents who work and pay Social Security taxes earn benefits for
their children in the event of death. The benefit amounts are
substantial, averaging $1,100 per month per child or $13,200 annually.
Unfortunately, a lack of awareness about these benefits and
administrative errors by the Social Security Administration have left
many bereaved children behind. Nationally, about 45 percent of bereaved
children are missing out on Social Security survivor benefits.
Many families are simply unaware that bereaved children may be
eligible for Social Security benefits. This, in turn, is because the
Social Security Administration has scaled back its communication
efforts.
For example, the agency no longer mails the Social Security statement
to households each year. The statement provided detailed information on
all types of Social Security benefits, including child benefits. ...
It's almost as if they need attorneys to help them file claims or something. They certainly need for someone to tell them to file.
