Social Security Bulletin, Vol. 85, No. 4

(released November 2025)
by Molly Costanzo, Lisa Klein Vogel, and Liesl Hostetter

This article examines the economic well-being of families in which a retired parent cares for a child with a disability. Using data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation and in-depth interviews, the authors analyze household economic circumstances, Social Security benefit adequacy, and caregivers' concerns about their children's futures. The authors find that these households experience disproportionate economic hardship despite receiving Social Security benefits, and caregivers express substantial worry about their children's long-term financial security and care arrangements.