In the dependency rule, a child who is incapacitated from earning would be considered _______ for support.

In the dependency rule, a child who is incapacitated from earning would be considered _______ for support.

• A. Not dependent
• B. Partially dependent
• C. Wholly dependent
• D. Dependent only if employed

Answer: (C)

The key idea is how the dependency rule classifies someone based on their ability to support themselves. If a child cannot earn any income because of incapacity, they rely entirely on others for support. That situation is described as being wholly dependent. Since there’s no capacity to contribute to their own support, there’s no partial or self-support status. In contrast, a child who can earn some money but still needs substantial support would be considered partially dependent, and someone who can fully support themselves would be not dependent. The notion of “dependent only if employed” doesn’t fit here, because incapacity means there’s no employment to rely on at all, so dependency isn’t conditional on being employed.

The key idea is how the dependency rule classifies someone based on their ability to support themselves. If a child cannot earn any income because of incapacity, they rely entirely on others for support. That situation is described as being wholly dependent. Since there’s no capacity to contribute to their own support, there’s no partial or self-support status.

In contrast, a child who can earn some money but still needs substantial support would be considered partially dependent, and someone who can fully support themselves would be not dependent. The notion of “dependent only if employed” doesn’t fit here, because incapacity means there’s no employment to rely on at all, so dependency isn’t conditional on being employed.