Subject to subsection (b) of this section, in addition to the weekly benefit amount in the schedule of benefits, a claimant shall be paid an allowance of $8 for each child, adopted child, or stepchild of the claimant who, on the 1st day of the benefit year, is: wholly or partly supported by the claimant; and under 16 years of age. A claimant shall submit to the Secretary the Social Security number or copy of the birth certificate of each dependent for whom the claimant is to be paid an allowance. An allowance under this section is not payable: for more than 5 dependents of the claimant; for longer than the number of weeks of benefits allowable to the claimant for total unemployment; or for any week in which an unemployment benefit is not payable to the claimant. Benefits and the allowance under this section in any 1 week may not exceed the highest weekly benefit amount in the schedule of benefits. The number of a claimant’s dependents shall be determined as of the 1st day of the benefit year and shall be fixed for the duration of the benefit year. After an individual has been determined to be a dependent of a claimant, the individual may not be considered to be a dependent of any other claimant whose benefit year starts within 1 year after the determination. In the computation of a contribution rate under Part II of Subtitle 6 of this title, an allowance for a dependent shall be considered a benefit. Notwithstanding subsection (d) of this section, an allowance for a dependent may not be deducted from a claimant’s benefit account.