Can adult disabled child switch from lower-earning parent's Social Security to higher-earning parent at FRA?
My brother (43) has been receiving Social Security benefits as an adult disabled child on my mom's record since 2019. She retired early at 62 and he gets about $1,125/month (roughly 75% of her PIA). My dad is turning 70 next month and plans to file for his Social Security then. Dad's benefit will be significantly higher - probably around $3,700/month based on his earnings history. I'm trying to figure out if my brother can switch from claiming on my mom's record to claiming on my dad's record once dad starts collecting? Would he get a higher monthly amount? Does the 50% benefit calculation apply to adult disabled children too? The SSA website is confusing me, and we don't want to lose his current benefits by asking the wrong questions. Has anyone navigated this specific situation before? Thanks!
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McKenzie Shade
Yes, your brother can switch to your father's record when your father files at 70. As an adult disabled child (we call it DAC - Disabled Adult Child - at SSA), he's entitled to the highest benefit available from either parent. When your father files, your brother should receive 50% of your father's PIA (Primary Insurance Amount), which is the amount your father would receive at full retirement age before any reductions or increases. Keep in mind that this 50% is calculated on your father's PIA, not the increased amount he gets for delaying to 70. So if your father's PIA is $2,800, your brother would get $1,400 (50% of that), not 50% of the $3,700 delayed retirement amount. The switch should happen automatically in the SSA system, but I'd recommend calling to confirm once your father files.
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Caden Turner
AuthorThank you! That's really helpful. So even though Dad is filing at 70, my brother's benefit would be based on what Dad would have gotten at his full retirement age (which was 66 and 6 months)? That makes sense but is a bit disappointing. But still, 50% of Dad's PIA should be higher than what he's getting now on Mom's record.
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Harmony Love
my disabled sister had this EXACT same situation!!! the ssa auto-switched her to my dads record when he filed. they didnt even tell us, just noticed the payment went up one month. but watch out they messed up the calculation the first time and had to fix it later.
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Caden Turner
AuthorOh wow, that's good to know! Did they eventually get it right? How long did it take them to fix the calculation?
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Rudy Cenizo
The previous responses are correct, but I'd like to clarify a few additional points about Disabled Adult Child benefits that might help your family: 1. The switch to your father's record should happen automatically, but it's always good to confirm with SSA once your father files. 2. The benefit will be 50% of your father's PIA (what he would receive at FRA), not 50% of his age-70 benefit amount. 3. If your brother is also receiving SSI or Medicaid, the increased DAC benefits might affect those benefits, so plan accordingly. 4. There's no risk of "losing benefits" by inquiring about this. DAC benefits are protected as long as your brother continues to meet the disability criteria. 5. If your brother has never worked or has very limited work history, this is typically the best benefit option available to him. If your father's PIA is significantly higher than your mother's, this switch will almost certainly result in a higher monthly payment for your brother.
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Caden Turner
AuthorThank you for these additional details! My brother isn't on SSI or Medicaid (he has Medicare through his disability), so I don't think point #3 will be an issue. But you've reassured me that asking questions won't jeopardize his current benefits, which was a big concern.
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Natalie Khan
Be VERY careful with this!!! My nephew lost his benefits for THREE MONTHS when we tried to switch him from one parent to another!!! The SSA said it was a "processing delay" but we had to borrow money to cover his group home payment!!! They did eventually pay back the missing months but it was a NIGHTMARE!!! ALWAYS have at least 3 months of expenses saved up when dealing with SSA changes!!!
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Caden Turner
AuthorOh no, that sounds awful! Was this recently? I'm worried now because my brother's benefits pay for his supportive housing arrangement, and we definitely can't cover 3 months of that if something goes wrong.
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Daryl Bright
my dad filed at 70 last year and my sister is disabled too she got switched over no problem got more $$ i think it happened the next month after dad filed
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Natalie Khan
You got LUCKY!!! Not everyone has a smooth experience!!! My nephew's case was a DISASTER!!! It depends which office handles it and which employee gets assigned!!!
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Sienna Gomez
I've been trying to get through to Social Security for weeks to handle something similar for my disabled daughter. The wait times are ridiculous - I've been disconnected 4 times after waiting over an hour. Finally found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an agent in under 15 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU I was able to confirm that my daughter could switch from my ex-husband's record to mine when I file, and they explained exactly how the calculation would work. Definitely worth it to get a clear answer directly from SSA rather than worrying about what might happen.
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Harmony Love
omg thank you for this!!! i've been trying to call about my back pay for WEEKS and keep getting disconnected gonna try this today!!!
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Kirsuktow DarkBlade
Isn't this what's called the "family maximum" thing where there's a cap on how much can be paid out on one person's record? I think I read somewhere that if multiple people are collecting on one person's record there's a maximum amount that can be paid out total. Might want to check that.
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Rudy Cenizo
You're thinking of the Family Maximum Benefit, but that typically becomes relevant when there are multiple beneficiaries on one record (like a spouse and multiple children). In this specific case, if the disabled adult child is the only auxiliary beneficiary on the father's record, the Family Maximum likely won't come into play. But you raise a good point - if there are other family members also collecting on the father's record, the Family Maximum could affect the total benefits paid.
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Caden Turner
I really appreciate everyone's insights here! I'm feeling much more confident about what will happen when Dad files next month. I'll definitely make sure we keep documentation of everything in case there are any payment delays or calculation issues. One last question - should Dad mention my brother's situation when he files for his own benefits, or will the SSA system automatically identify that my brother should be switched over?
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McKenzie Shade
It's always good practice to mention it, even though their system should catch it automatically. When your father files, he'll be asked about dependents. He should definitely list your brother as a disabled adult child dependent. This creates a paper trail and helps ensure the switch happens promptly. Your father should also have your brother's Social Security number handy when he files.
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Aisha Abdullah
Based on what everyone has shared, it sounds like you're in good shape! Just wanted to add that you might want to call SSA about a week after your dad files to confirm the switch is processing correctly. I've found that being proactive with a follow-up call can help catch any issues early rather than waiting for them to show up in the payment. Also, keep copies of all your dad's filing paperwork - if there are any delays or calculation errors like some folks mentioned, having that documentation makes it much easier to resolve. The switch should definitely result in higher benefits for your brother given the earnings difference you described. Good luck!
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