Court Opinion

ID: 9475687
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 05:35:45.804088+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:44:52.675959
License: Public Domain

FLAUM, Circuit Judge,
dissenting.
The Social Security Act provides that every child whose parent is insured by the Social Security System “shall be entitled to a child’s insurance benefit” if, at the time of the insured parent’s death, the child was “dependent” on the parent. 42 U.S.C. § 402(d) (1982 & 1985 Supp.). Under the Act, all legitimate children are “deemed dependent” on the insured parent. 42 U.S.C. § 402(d)(3). In addition, those illegitimate children whose parentage is established before the death of the insured parent are also “deemed dependent.” Id. However, illegitimate children whose insured parent dies without establishing parentage are only considered “dependent” if they demonstrate that, at the time of their insured parent’s death, the parent was “living with” or “contributing to” their “support.” Id. at § 416(h)(3). Because Gary C. Van Schindel died six months before his illegitimate child was born, he had no meaningful opportunity to establish paternity. As a result, in order to obtain surviv- or’s benefits, his son is placed in the curious position of having to prove that, while a fetus, he was “dependent” on his father.
It is clear that in enacting the Social Security Act Congress did not consider the rare case, such as this, in which the father of an illegitimate child dies before the child is born. The concept of “dependency” has virtually no meaning when assessing the relationship between an unborn child and its father. The biological reality is that a fetus is “dependent” solely on its mother. If Gary R. Van Schindel must prove that, at the time of his father’s death, he was actually dependent on his father, his claim must fail. However, if actual dependence is required, the claims of all children — legitimate or illegitimate — who are born after the death of their father must also fail.
Rather than denying survivor’s benefits to any child born after his or her father’s death, the Social Security Administration assumes that a fetus whose parents were married, see 42 U.S.C. § 402(d)(3), or whose father was living with its mother, see id. at § 416(h)(3), or whose father was supporting its mother, SSR 68-22 (1968), was “dependent” on the father at the time of his death. The fact that the Social Security Administration provides benefits to these children — who were not actually “dependent” on their fathers at the time of their deaths — suggests that “dependent” must be given a special meaning when applied to a fetus. Cf. Jimenez v. Weinberger, 417 U.S. 628, 634-35, 94 S.Ct. 2496, 2500-01, 41 L.Ed.2d 363 (1974) (The availability of disability benefits to legitimate children born after their parents’ disability demonstrates that “dependents” does not mean only those who lost “actual support.”).
In determining what it means for a fetus to have been “dependent” under § 416(h)(3) because its father “contribut[ed] to” its “support,” we should seek to give “dependent” a meaning that best harmonizes this provision with the other provisions of the Social Security Act. The Supreme Court has made clear that children may not prove that they were dependent merely by asserting that, because of their parents’ death, they lost a “potential source of lifetime *615support.” Mathews v. Lucas, 427 U.S. 495, 508 n. 14, 96 S.Ct. 2755, 2763-64 n. 14, 49 L.Ed.2d 651 (1976) (emphasis added). This certainly should apply to the unborn. Consequently, the mere possibility that, had the father lived, he might have provided support to the fetus after its birth is not sufficient to demonstrate that his unborn child was “dependent.” At the same time, the fact that the Social Security Administration will deem a fetus “dependent” if, at the time of its father’s death, its parents were married, or living together, or if its father was supporting its mother, is also significant. These parental actions provide strong evidence that the father had begun to act in a manner that makes it reasonable to presume that he would have actually supported the child once it was born. In a similar manner, when determining whether an illegitimate fetus was “dependent” because its father was “contributing” to its support, the Social Security Administration should determine whether the father, while alive, had taken concrete actions that provide a significant indication that, but for his untimely death, he would have assumed appropriate responsibility for his child after its birth.
Realizing the special considerations involved with “afterborn illegitimates,” several circuits have adopted a test that seeks to determine whether the father’s actions provide sufficient evidence that, had death not intervened, he would have fulfilled his responsibilities. These courts have interpreted the requirement that the father have “contribut[ed] to the support” of the child to mean that the father must have made contributions “commensurate with the need of the unborn child at the time of the father’s death.” Adams v. Weinberger, 521 F.2d 656, 660 (2d Cir.1975). The Adams test looks pragmatically at the father’s resources and the point in the pregnancy at which he died. The test recognizes that a small contribution by a poor man early in a pregnancy can be a sufficient indicator that, had he lived, he would have taken responsibility for his child.
The Adams test mirrors the overall balance that the Social Security Act strikes. This approach seeks to prevent “claims from children who have no financial interest in their father’s deaths but for the possible windfall benefits that the Social Security Act would bestow upon them.” Adams, 521 F.2d at 659-60. At the same time, in keeping with the broad presumptions that the Social Security Act extends to most children, it gives illegitimate children born after the death of their fathers the benefit of the doubt.
The majority suggests that while we have expressed support for the Adams test, we have not yet adopted it. Supra, at 613. I disagree. In Schaefer v. Heckler, 792 F.2d 81 (7th Cir.1986), we evaluated the plaintiff’s claim for survivor’s benefits using the Adams standard. See id. at 86-87. In Imani v. Heckler, 797 F.2d 508 (7th Cir.1986), we went further, stating unambiguously that “when the applicant is an illegitimate child born after his alleged father ... dies ... the Secretary should consider whether the alleged aid is commensurate with the needs of the unborn child at the time of the father’s demise.” Id. at 513 (citing Schaefer). It is true that in both cases we concluded that even under the Adams standard the claimants were not entitled to benefits. In the strictest sense, therefore, our comments in Schaefer and Imani could be dismissed as dicta. To do so, however, would be, in my view, an excess of formalism. The relevant fact is that in both cases we utilized the Adams test in reaching our decision. We have also directed the Secretary of Health and Human Services to do so in future cases. Id. Reopening this question can only lead to uncertainty and additional, needless litigation.
While the majority does not consider itself bound by the Adams test, they do give some consideration to it. However, I believe that they have not fully considered the specific facts at issue in this case. The majority suggests that Gary C. Van Schindel, the father, supplied either no support, supra at 613, or, at best, made gifts of “courtship” to the mother, Barbara Dubinski, supra at 613. These assertions do not *616address several significant efforts that Ms. Dubinski alleges that Mr. Van Schindel made. The opinion of the Administrative Law Judge indicates that he did not dispute these claims. Specifically, Ms. Dubinski alleges that Mr. Van Schindel encouraged her to see a doctor to determine whether she was pregnant; he accompanied her to the doctor’s office; he continued to work steadily; he began to save money for the baby; he made an effort to secure a marriage license; he travelled from the town in which he worked to spend each weekend with Ms. Dubinski; and he occasionally provided cash or other assistance.1
The evidence concerning Mr. Van Schindel’s acceptance of his impending parental responsibility is far greater than the evidence in either Schaefer or Imani. In Schaefer, the father’s only efforts were his vague “promise to marry and his promise to pay hospital expenses.” Schaefer, 792 F.2d at 86. In Imani, it was clear that, at the time of his death, the father had indicated by his conduct that he would not take the necessary responsibility. See Imani, 797 F.2d at 513.
Gary C. Van Schindel’s efforts were also more extensive than that of the father in Doran v. Schweiker, 681 F.2d 605 (9th Cir.1982). Like Gary C. Van Schindel, the father in that case was an impoverished worker who died when his child was a three month old fetus. Despite the fact that his only “contributions” were to transport the mother’s belongings to a cabin and to return on one occasion to fix the roof, the court held that his efforts were sufficient to meet the Adams standard. Mr. Van Schindel’s efforts are at least comparable to those of the father in Parsons v. Health and Human Services, 762 F.2d 1188 (4th Cir.1985). In that case, the father, who earned $8,000 a year and died when his child was a five month old fetus, made regular weekend visits to the mother and gave her $50 to pay for transportation costs to the doctor. Here, again, the court held this to be sufficient to meet the Adams standard.2
I believe that, given Mr. Van Schindel’s limited financial resources, and the very early stage in the pregnancy at which he died, he made contributions “commensurate with the needs of the unborn child at the time of [his] death.” Adams, 521 F.2d at 660. His actions indicate that, but for his untimely death, he would have fulfilled his responsibilities to his son. Consequently, his “contribution] to the support,” 42 U.S.C. § 416(c)(3), of Gary R. Van Schindel was sufficient to make his son “dependent” on him within the meaning of the Social Security Act. I would, therefore, reverse, and enter judgment for the appellant.

. I find it ironic that if Mr. Van Schindel had quit his job, moved in with Ms. Dubinski, and gone on relief, their son would have been automatically eligible for Social Security, see 42 U.S.C. § 416(h)(3), but that because he remained in another town so he could save money, his child is to be denied benefits. I cannot believe that Congress would sanction so absurd a result.

. Gary C. Van Schindel's contributions were not as great as those of the father in Adams. In that case, the father contributed $400 to the mother and allowed her to live rent free in his apartment. However, the father’s opportunity for support was far greater in that case. The father was the operator of a Manhattan restaurant who lived until the seventh month of the pregnancy. See Adams, 521 F.2d at 660.