Abstract: Though Social Security is typically considered a
program to support retirees, nearly one in ten children live in a
home with Social Security income. Children are substantially more
likely to live with an older adult than they were two decades
ago, and are twice as likely to report Social Security income in
their household than traditional cash welfare. We use the sharp
increase in eligibility for Social Security benefits at age 62 to
investigate the role played by the Social Security program in
childhood economic outcomes among children who live with older
adults.