Which status applies to a child under 18 or a child of any age who is physically or mentally incapacitated from earning when considering support for a deceased employee?

• A. Not dependent
• B. Wholly dependent
• C. Partially dependent
• D. Dependent only if the parent qualifies

Answer: (B)

When determining support in a deceased-employee situation, the key idea is how much the dependent relies on the employee for living expenses. A child who is under 18, or any child who is capable of being supported by the employee but is physically or mentally incapacitated from earning a living, cannot support themselves. That makes them wholly dependent—their needs are met entirely by the employee's earnings. If the child could earn some income and still relies on the employee for the rest, they would be considered partially dependent. Not dependent would apply only if the child does not rely on the employee at all. In this scenario, the incapacitated child’s inability to earn supports the classification as wholly dependent.