HI again.
Here's my situation. My nephew is a motocross rider and has an awards ceremony in Las Vegas and a race...it is a big thing...he is the east coast champ for his division....so here's the question...my sister wants to take my 4 year old...am I allowed to used his backpay or his monthly payment to pay for his plane ticket? I am guessing no, but I am hoping YES! Should I just call SSA?
Thank you in advance!

Are his food, clothing and shelter needs already met? If yes, and you have additional funds, it is YOUR decision, not SSA's.

I buy the clothes and pre school and dental costs with his money ( i have separate accts for each child), the hubby and I buy the food...there is money from the backpay that i was thi9nkin I could use.
Again Janke..thank you so much! I appreciate your knowledge as I am sure so many others do!

Hi Cblue,

I've talked with some friends who are familiar with SSDI and I came to the following, once you get the money, it's yours, you can do whatever you want with it. So Enjoy Vegas.

Wrong.

He is talking about his child's benefits. It is not HIS money, it belongs to his child. He doesn't get to party on the back of his minor child. Can he get away with it? Perhaps. Can he look at his child and not feel like a bum? Not Cblue. Maybe your friends can.

It isn't the OP who is going to Vegas to party. It is the OP's son who was invited to Vegas with his aunt and she wants to use the child's money for the child's plane ticket. As far as I am aware, that is just fine--if the child is having his needs met, the money can go toward his other expenses.

Is this SSI or SSDI? If it is SSDI IT DOES NOT MATTER as long as the needs are meet of you and your children. If you need to buy a car you can with this money. I think people get the two mixed up.

SSI -This is where if you were to be adutied it would matter. I would call SS.

The money for airfare is being spent on the child, Cblue is fine if she wants to send her kid on a trip with the money whether it's SSDI or SSI

https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0200602020 Read A.3 and B.3

Children's benefits are not designed to be for the family, but can be used for a reasonable share of household expenses which does benefit the family.

That is not the same as using child's benefits to buy a car for mom or dad or to mom or dad to take a trip. The OP was talking about paying for a trip for the child from the child's benefits which obviously benefits the child. But it doesn't mean that the lump sum should be used for the family to take a trip.

This is true whether it is disability auxilliary benefits, retirement auxilliary benefits, survivor benefits or SSI. SSI has even more stringent rules on the spending of the retroactive benefits if the back pay is more than six months, but that is not the question being asked here.

just bringing back the original post as the only thing Cblue asked was about a plane ticket for the child (bolded by me)............I am not sure how that got interpreted as a possible family party in Vegas. But hopefully this is now clarified.