Can a 13-year-old disabled child collect SS benefits from custodial great-grandmother instead of deceased parent?

omg same boat here !! my sister died and i got custody of her kid who has downs syndrome. we tried to switch to my record but was told no because theres this thing called "most advantageous benefit" where SSA just pays whichever is higher automatically. is your granddaughter getting SSI too? thats different from survivor benefits and based on disability

Let me help clarify a few things here: 1. Your granddaughter CAN potentially receive benefits on your record instead of your son's if that would result in a higher benefit amount. This is called the "dual entitlement" provision. 2. The child can only receive benefits from one worker - whichever provides the higher benefit amount (this is the "most advantageous benefit" rule). 3. For the child-in-care situation - that would only apply if you were receiving spouse's benefits. Since you're receiving your own retirement benefit, there's no additional child-in-care benefit for you. 4. CRITICALLY IMPORTANT: Any changes could potentially affect her Medicaid eligibility depending on your state's rules. If her Social Security benefit increases significantly, it might push her over income limits for Medicaid. I strongly recommend scheduling an appointment with SSA to do a benefit calculation comparison and also speak with your state Medicaid office about how benefit changes might impact her healthcare coverage. The increase in Social Security might not be worth losing Medicaid.

You might want to look into a special needs trust for your granddaughter!! We set one up for my nephew and it helps protect benefits while still providing extra support. Talk to a disability attorney tho not just SSA

I went through HELL trying to get answers from Social Security about my disabled grandson's benefits last year. Waited on hold for HOURS multiple days and kept getting disconnected. Finally found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual SSA agent in under 5 minutes! They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The agent was able to run calculations for both my record and my daughter's record to show which one would pay more. Turns out my grandson was already getting the higher amount, but at least I knew for sure. Definitely worth checking into for your situation.

I manage a disability law practice, and I want to emphasize how crucial it is to understand the difference between SSDI-based benefits (what your granddaughter likely receives as survivor benefits) and SSI benefits. They have COMPLETELY different rules regarding Medicaid. If your granddaughter receives Survivor benefits through SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) and has Medicaid through your state's disability program, switching to a higher benefit on your record could indeed jeopardize her Medicaid eligibility. However, many states have Medicaid waiver programs specifically for disabled children that have higher income limits or disregard certain income. Each state administers these differently. Also, once she turns 18, the rules change again as she'll be evaluated as an adult for disability purposes. I strongly recommend two actions: 1. Contact your state's Disability Rights organization (every state has one) for free guidance 2. Consult with a special needs planning attorney who can help with benefits preservation strategies

my friends kid lost medicaid when his ss benefits went up just $87!! the medicaid income limits are RIDICULOUS

Have y'all considered the ABLE account option for disabled kiddos? It's like a special savings account where you can put money without it counting against benefit eligibility limits. My daughter has one and it's been super helpful for all her extra expenses that SS doesn't cover. Just throwing that out there as another option besides a special needs trust (which is way more complicated).

The whole Social Security system is designed to confuse people and deny benefits!! I spent TWO YEARS fighting for my son's disability benefits while working with an advocate. Your granddaughter is ENTITLED to whichever benefit is higher - her father's or yours. But the SSA won't automatically check this for you. You need to specifically request a benefit comparison calculation. BUT - and this is the critical part everyone misses - if her survivor benefits go up even slightly, she could lose Medicaid which would be DEVASTATING for a child with autism and medical needs. The system is cruel that way. I would: 1) Check with Medicaid FIRST about income limits 2) Set up an ABLE account as mentioned by others 3) Consider a special needs trust for any inheritance planning 4) Get EVERYTHING in writing from SSA

one thing nobody mentioned - make sure ur doing guardianship paperwork before she turns 18!!! we didnt realize we needed that and it was a NIGHTMARE when my nephew turned 18 even tho he functions like a 7 yr old

I'm a retired SSA employee and wanted to add some clarity to this discussion. First, your granddaughter can indeed potentially receive benefits on your record if it would be higher - this is called "dual entitlement" and SSA is supposed to automatically pay whichever is higher, but sometimes you need to specifically request the comparison. However, I want to echo the Medicaid warnings here - this is CRITICAL. Many states have "spend down" programs or disability waivers that might protect her coverage even with higher income, but you absolutely must verify this BEFORE making any changes. A few additional points: - At 73, your benefit amount is likely significantly higher than your son's was at 29, so there's a good chance she'd get more on your record - She should qualify as a "child disability beneficiary" which means benefits can continue past 18 if she remains disabled - Document everything about her current medical needs and expenses - this will be important for both SSA and Medicaid reviews I'd strongly recommend visiting your local SSA office with all her medical documentation and requesting a formal benefit calculation comparison. Don't rely on phone calls for something this important.