Can adopted grandchild receive Social Security survivor benefits from deceased parents AND benefits from adoptive grandparents?

I can help with this as I've been through something similar. When you adopt your grandson, he'll maintain his survivor benefits from his biological parents until age 18 (or 19 if still in high school). The adoption doesn't affect those benefits - they're based on his biological parents' earnings records. When you and your wife file for retirement benefits, your grandson will also be eligible for child's benefits on your record (or your wife's, but they'll use the higher earner). Here's the key point: he cannot receive full amounts from both sources. SSA will pay the survivor benefits first, then add enough from your record to reach the higher amount if your benefit would be more. For example, if he gets $750 monthly in survivor benefits, but would qualify for $1000 on your record, he'll get the $750 survivor benefit plus $250 from your record. Regarding the Family Maximum Benefit - these are calculated separately since they come from different earnings records. The FMB on your record would affect any benefits paid to him based on your record, but wouldn't impact his survivor benefits.

my sister went thru this with her step-grandson and the whole thing was a NIGHTMARE!!! ssa kept giving different answers every time she called!!! one person said the kid would lose everything after adoption, then another said he'd keep it all. took them 6 months to figure it out!!!

Having dealt with the SSA for our family's benefits, I highly recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to connect with an actual SSA agent quickly. Regular phone lines had me waiting for hours or getting disconnected, but Claimyr got me through to an agent in about 15 minutes. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU showing how it works. For complex situations like yours involving adoption and multiple benefit types, speaking directly with an SSA representative is really the safest approach. It saved me so much frustration when sorting out my disabled daughter's benefits.

To add some precision to the previous responses: 1. Your grandson will continue receiving survivor benefits based on his biological parents' earnings records after adoption. This is protected under the Social Security Act. 2. When you or your wife file for retirement benefits, he becomes eligible for child's benefits on the higher earner's record. 3. He won't receive full amounts from both sources. SSA applies what's called the "combined family maximum" in these cases. He'll receive whatever is higher: either the survivor benefit alone OR a combination that equals the higher benefit amount. 4. You MUST notify SSA when the adoption is finalized - this won't happen automatically. Bring the final adoption decree to your local SSA office. 5. His SSN will remain the same, but SSA will update their records to show you and your wife as his parents. I recommend scheduling an appointment with SSA specifically to discuss how this adoption will affect benefits. Ask for a "technical expert" who handles these more complex situations.

just make sure you keep good records of EVERYTHING!! I got told 3 different things by SSA about my granddaughter's benefits and they LOST our paperwork twice. take pictures of everything you submit!!!

My husband and I adopted our grandson after our daughter passed, and he was 7 at the time. He kept getting his survivor benefits from her record. When my husband retired at 65, we applied for additional benefits for our grandson on his record. SSA did the calculations and he got a small additional amount because my husband's benefit calculation was slightly higher. They review it annually. It was a pretty smooth process BUT we had to be very clear with SSA that this was what we were trying to do. The first person we talked to didn't understand what we were asking.

What about if your grandson gets disability later?? My friend's adopted son got SSDI and they made him choose between SSDI and survivor benefits from bio parents. Don't know if it's the same for retirement tho?? SSA rules are SO CONFUSING!!!!!

One more thing I didn't mention earlier - when your grandson turns 16, you should look into whether he qualifies for SSI (Supplemental Security Income) in addition to his Social Security benefits. The income limits are strict, but if his combined Social Security benefits are below the threshold, SSI could provide additional monthly support. This becomes his own benefit based on age and limited income, separate from either survivor or retirement-based benefits. Also, ensure you're keeping his benefits in a properly designated account. Benefits paid to children require annual representative payee accounting to SSA, and they can audit how funds are being used. I recommend setting up a dedicated account just for his benefits to make this reporting easier.

I'm going through a similar situation with my nephew who we adopted last year. One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is the timing of when you apply for retirement benefits. If you're planning to retire within the next year or two, you might want to consider applying for benefits a few months before the adoption is finalized - this could help establish his eligibility on your record before any potential confusion about the adoption paperwork. Also, I learned that if you're the representative payee for his current survivor benefits, you'll automatically become the representative payee for any additional benefits he receives on your record. This simplifies things because you won't need separate appointments or paperwork for that role. One last tip: when you go to SSA, ask them to run a "benefit estimate" showing exactly what his monthly payment would be under different scenarios. This helped us understand the financial impact before making any decisions. They can show you what he'd get if he only had survivor benefits vs. what he'd get with the combined benefits after you retire.

I work for a legal aid organization that helps families navigate SSA benefits, and I want to emphasize a few critical points that haven't been fully addressed: First, DOCUMENT EVERYTHING. Create a timeline showing when your grandson started receiving survivor benefits, when you obtained guardianship, and when the adoption will be finalized. This helps SSA workers understand the sequence of events. Second, request a "proactive review" of his case before the adoption is finalized. Ask SSA to flag his file so they know an adoption is coming and can prepare for the transition. This prevents the common problem where one department doesn't know what another department is doing. Third, be aware that there's often a brief processing period (usually 1-2 months) after adoption where benefits might be temporarily delayed while SSA updates their systems. Plan financially for this possibility. Finally, consider consulting with an elder law attorney who specializes in Social Security. Many offer free consultations for cases like this, and they can help you navigate the complex interaction between survivor benefits, adoption law, and retirement benefits. The consultation fee is usually worth it to avoid costly mistakes. The bottom line: your grandson's financial security is protected, but you need to be proactive with SSA to ensure smooth transitions.

As a newcomer to this community, I'm amazed by how helpful and detailed everyone's responses have been! I'm actually in a somewhat similar situation with my adopted nephew (age 8) who receives survivor benefits from his biological father, and my sister and I are considering what happens when we retire. Reading through all these responses, I wanted to add one thing I learned from our family's experience: if you're dealing with multiple SSA offices (which sometimes happens with complex cases like this), make sure each office has the same information. We had issues where the local office had different notes in their system than the 1-800 number representatives were seeing. Also, I noticed several people mentioned getting conflicting information from different SSA representatives. One tip that helped us: when you call, ask for the representative's name and employee ID number, and document the date/time of your call along with what they told you. This creates an accountability trail if you need to reference the conversation later. @Zara Ahmed - your grandson is so fortunate to have grandparents who are being this thoughtful about his financial future. The fact that you're researching all this before finalizing the adoption shows incredible foresight. Best wishes with the process!

Welcome to the community! I'm new here too, but I wanted to share something that might help with your situation. My family went through a similar process when we adopted my brother's daughter after he passed away. One thing I learned that hasn't been mentioned yet is to ask SSA specifically about "deemed filing" rules when you apply for your retirement benefits. Since you mentioned you're both 63 and planning to retire soon, there are some timing considerations that could affect your grandson's benefits. If you file for retirement benefits before your full retirement age, it might impact the calculation of his auxiliary benefits on your record. Also, I'd recommend asking SSA to provide you with a detailed breakdown of how they calculate the "combined family maximum" in writing. In our case, the representative explained it verbally, but having the actual formula and numbers on paper helped us understand exactly why his benefit amount was what it was. The other thing that was really helpful for us was creating a simple spreadsheet tracking all his current benefits (amounts, payment dates, etc.) before we started the process. This made it much easier to spot any changes or issues once the new benefits kicked in. Good luck with everything! It sounds like you're being incredibly thorough, which will definitely help ensure everything goes smoothly.

As someone new to this community, I'm really impressed by the depth of knowledge and experience everyone has shared here! I'm currently helping my elderly parents navigate some Social Security questions, so this thread has been incredibly educational. One thing I wanted to add that might be helpful - if you end up needing to visit multiple SSA offices or deal with different representatives, consider asking for a "case summary" to be added to your grandson's file. This is essentially a note that explains the unique circumstances of his case (adoption, existing survivor benefits, etc.) so that any representative who pulls up his file will immediately understand the complexity of the situation. I learned this tip from a social worker friend who deals with SSA regularly. She said it can prevent a lot of the confusion and conflicting information that seems to be common with complex cases like yours. The representative can add this summary during your initial appointment to discuss the adoption impact. Also, @Zara Ahmed, you might want to ask SSA if they can provide you with a written timeline of when different actions need to be taken (notifying them of the adoption completion, applying for retirement benefits, etc.). Having clear deadlines and action items could help ensure nothing falls through the cracks during what's already an emotionally significant process. Best of luck with both the adoption and navigating the SSA process!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm really grateful to have found this thread! I'm in a somewhat similar situation with my adopted granddaughter (age 9) who receives survivor benefits from her mother. My husband and I are considering early retirement next year, so reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly valuable. One thing I wanted to add that might help - when we first started navigating SSA with our granddaughter's benefits, we discovered that keeping a detailed log of every interaction was crucial. I created a simple notebook where I record the date, time, representative's name/ID, phone number or office location, and exactly what was discussed or decided. This has been invaluable when following up on previous conversations or when getting conflicting information. Also, I noticed several people mentioned the importance of bringing multiple documents. In our experience, SSA sometimes requests additional documentation that you might not expect. Along with the adoption decree and birth certificates that others mentioned, consider bringing school enrollment records, medical records, and any court documents related to guardianship. Having everything with you can prevent additional trips. @Zara Ahmed - your proactive approach to researching this before the adoption is finalized is so smart! Based on what everyone has shared, it sounds like your grandson will be well-protected financially. The complexity can seem overwhelming, but this community has shown there are people who've successfully navigated these exact waters. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread is going to be a great resource for families in similar situations!

As someone new to this community, I'm really touched by how supportive and knowledgeable everyone has been in helping @Zara Ahmed navigate this complex situation. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly educational! I wanted to add one perspective that might be helpful - I work as a paralegal at a firm that handles family law cases, including adoptions, and we often coordinate with families on Social Security benefit transitions. One thing we always recommend is creating what we call a "benefit transition binder" that includes not just the documents others have mentioned, but also a one-page summary sheet that clearly outlines: - Current benefit amounts and sources - Key dates (when benefits started, guardianship date, expected adoption finalization) - Your retirement timeline - Questions you need answered Having this summary sheet as the first page helps SSA representatives quickly understand your situation without having to dig through all the paperwork. We've found it significantly reduces confusion and speeds up the process. Also, consider asking your adoption attorney if they have any experience with Social Security benefit transitions. Some attorneys who frequently handle these cases have established relationships with local SSA offices and can provide valuable insights about which representatives are most knowledgeable about complex cases. The level of care and preparation you're showing for your grandson's future is truly admirable. Best wishes with both the adoption finalization and the benefit transition process!