Mary and John Doe adopt their 8 year old grandson Joseph. John dies in a work-related accident. Mary is a dependent spouse. How many dependents are there?

Mary and John Doe adopt their 8 year old grandson Joseph. John dies in a work-related accident. Mary is a dependent spouse. How many dependents are there?

• A. 2 total dependents
• B. 1 total and 1 partial dependent
• C. 2 partial dependents
• D. 1 total and no partial dependent

Answer: (A)

The main idea is who counts as a dependent for death benefits: a dependent is someone who relied on the employee for support, and this includes a spouse who is dependent and children (including adopted children) who rely on the employee. Mary is described as a dependent spouse, so she counts as one dependent. Joseph was adopted by Mary and John, making him an adopted child of the employee for dependency purposes; as a minor who relies on the employee for support, he is a dependent as well. Adoption brings him into the employee’s family for these purposes, so he adds a second dependent. Both dependents are typically considered total dependents since they rely wholly on the employee for support, and there’s no indication of partial dependency here. Therefore, there are two dependents in total.

The main idea is who counts as a dependent for death benefits: a dependent is someone who relied on the employee for support, and this includes a spouse who is dependent and children (including adopted children) who rely on the employee. Mary is described as a dependent spouse, so she counts as one dependent. Joseph was adopted by Mary and John, making him an adopted child of the employee for dependency purposes; as a minor who relies on the employee for support, he is a dependent as well. Adoption brings him into the employee’s family for these purposes, so he adds a second dependent. Both dependents are typically considered total dependents since they rely wholly on the employee for support, and there’s no indication of partial dependency here. Therefore, there are two dependents in total.