Calculating DAC and DCIC benefits when retiring early with disabled adult child on SSI

The family maximum definitely applies in your situation. When a wage earner has dependents drawing benefits (like a DAC and DCIC), the total family benefits are capped. The calculation is a bit complex, but typically: - Your husband would get his full age-63 benefit ($2,497) - Your son would get 50% of your husband's PIA (Primary Insurance Amount, which is the FRA amount of $3,330), so about $1,665 - You would also get 50% of your husband's PIA as DCIC, so another $1,665 However, since that total ($2,497 + $1,665 + $1,665 = $5,827) exceeds your family maximum, your benefits would be reduced proportionally. Your husband's benefit stays the same, but yours and your son's would be reduced to fit under the cap. I suggest calling SSA directly to get the exact calculation for your situation.

When my husband retired early our situation was similar except our daughter was already on DAC benefits. Just a heads up that when they did our calculations, they didn't use the survivor maximum but calculated a different family maximum based on the PIA. It was less than what showed on the survivor section. They don't clearly explain this anywhere!

Just to clarify a couple points: 1. The family maximum for retirement/disability benefits is different from the survivor family maximum. The one on the statement ($5,746) is specifically for survivor situations, so it doesn't apply directly to your situation. 2. For retirement benefits, the family maximum is calculated using a formula based on the worker's PIA. It's typically between 150-180% of the worker's PIA. 3. Your husband's benefit won't be reduced, but both your DCIC and your son's DAC benefits will be proportionally reduced to fit under the family maximum. 4. When your son transitions from SSI to DAC, be aware that DAC benefits are higher but have different rules. He'll also qualify for Medicare after 24 months on DAC. 5. The DCIC benefit for you continues only until your child turns 16, unless you're also disabled. I'd recommend scheduling an appointment with your local SSA office to get the exact numbers for your situation.

Just FYI, the SSA calculates the family maximum for RETIREMENT benefits using a 4-tier formula thats diffrnt from survivor benefits. Its approximately: - 150% of first $1,308 of PIA - 272% of PIA from $1,308 to $1,889 - 134% of PIA from $1,889 to $2,466 - 175% of PIA over $2,466 Not sure why they make it SO COMPLICATED!! But for ur husbands PIA of $3,330 the family max would be around $5,100 (my rough calculation). That means after his reduced benefit of $2,497, only about $2,603 would be left for you and ur son to split proportionally. GOOD LUCK getting through to SSA to confirm this!!!

I went through this exact situation last year. Here's some important info no one mentioned yet: 1. Your son will get substantially MORE on DAC than on SSI. Current federal SSI is $943/month, while DAC benefits could be $1,200+ even after the family maximum reduction. 2. For DCIC benefits, you qualify indefinitely while caring for a disabled adult child (no age limit as someone suggested). You must be providing personal care and living with them. 3. The SSA will calculate the family maximum at application time. They use a complex formula based on your husband's PIA ($3,330), not the reduced benefit amount. 4. The family maximum for retirement is typically around 150-180% of the worker's PIA, so roughly $5,000-$6,000 in your case. 5. Your husband's early retirement benefit isn't reduced by the family maximum. Only the dependent benefits (yours and your son's) are proportionally reduced. Have you been able to reach SSA to get exact numbers? I tried for weeks and finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a representative in about 15 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU

dont forget when your son switches from SSI to DAC he'll lose medicaid after a while unless your state has a program for DAC recipients to keep medicaid. my daughter had to get a special waiver to keep her medicaid when she switched to DAC so check on that

One more thing - when we went through this, they counted my income too when deciding if our daughter could get SSI in addition to her DAC. Make sure they don't count your hubby's retirement as income for SSI purposes after your son switches to DAC. The rules are sooooo confusing!

I rememebr going through this EXACT nightmare last year!! The most frustrating thing was that NOBODY at SS seemed to be able to tell me the exact amount we'd get until we actually filed. They kept saying "it depends" and "we calculate it at filing" which was useless for planning!!! Our family max ended up being about 175% of my husbands PIA, if that helps. AND make sure when your son transitions to DAC that you immediately start the Medicare process, they messed that up for us and it took months to fix!!

One additional consideration: If your husband has significant health issues that may impact his life expectancy, there's another strategy to consider. If he has a qualifying medical condition with a poor prognosis, he might consider applying for SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) instead of early retirement. If approved for SSDI: 1. He would receive his full FRA benefit amount ($3,330) with no reduction for early filing 2. Your son would still convert to DAC 3. You would still be eligible for DCIC 4. The family maximum would apply, but the starting benefit amounts would be higher The approval process for SSDI can be lengthy, but given the significant difference between his age-63 benefit ($2,497) and his full FRA benefit ($3,330), it might be worth exploring if his health condition is severe enough to qualify.