Q: I have a neighbor who is in his early 50s. He is a pilot for a major airline and makes pretty good money. He and his wife have several children, one of whom has Down syndrome. I have heard that this 21-year-old son is collecting about $2,000 per month in welfare benefits from Social Security. Don’t get me wrong; I would never want to trade places with these people. But I am just wondering how rich people qualify for welfare benefits. And I’m also wondering why this kid is getting Social Security when his parents aren’t even close to Social Security age.
A: Let me set you straight on a number of points. First, your neighbor’s son is not getting Social Security. He is probably getting a Supplemental Security Income disability payment. Second, he is not receiving anywhere near $2,000 per month. It might be as much as $840 but is probably closer to around $500 in monthly SSI payments.
