Can my disabled brother get higher SS benefits now that our father died? Currently on SSDI+SSI

Yes, your brother might qualify for what's called Disabled Adult Child (DAC) benefits, also known as Childhood Disability Benefits (CDB). This allows adults who became disabled before age 22 to collect benefits on a parent's work record when that parent dies, retires, or becomes disabled. Since your brother was apparently already receiving some SSDI, he must have worked some in his life, but the benefit amount could potentially increase based on your father's earnings record. He should contact SSA immediately as there may be time limits for filing. Also, getting higher SSDI might reduce the SSI amount, but the total should be more overall.

sry about ur dad. my cousin got more $ when his mom died so yeah its a thing. they call it something weird like adult disabled child benefits even tho that sounds backwards lol. but he had to go to the office and wait FOREVER. like all day. bring snacks!

I went through EXACTLY this with my sister when our father passed. You absolutely need to apply for the Childhood Disability Benefits for your brother. His benefit amount will be based on your dad's earnings record - up to 75% of what your dad's full retirement benefit was. BUT BE WARNED - the SSA lost our paperwork TWICE and we had to start over. It took almost 8 MONTHS to finally get it approved!!! And yes, when her SSDI increased, her SSI decreased, but overall she gets about $435 more per month now. MAKE SURE you keep copies of EVERYTHING you submit to them!!!

Your brother probably qualifies for higher benefits as a Disabled Adult Child (DAC). Those are benefits paid to adults who became disabled before age 22 and can now collect on a parent's work record. He needs to contact SSA right away though - there's a time limit for filing (I think 6 months from death) to get all retroactive benefits. The good news is DAC benefits are usually higher than what he's getting now. The bad news is dealing with SSA will be frustrating!

My neighbor got more money when her dad died too. She said they had to fill out form SSA-4-BIC? I think that's what it's called. She got backpay too!

I work with disabled clients and can confirm your brother likely qualifies for Childhood Disability Benefits (CDB) on your father's record. Here's what you need to know: 1. He must have become disabled before age 22 2. He must be unmarried (unless married to another beneficiary) 3. He'll need to file application SSA-4-BIC specifically 4. The benefit will be 75% of your father's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) 5. There's a 6-month filing window to get maximum retroactive benefits Also important: When his SSDI increases, his SSI will likely decrease dollar-for-dollar, BUT he'll still come out ahead because the SSDI increase should be more than his current SSI amount. Plus, SSDI doesn't have the same strict resource limits as SSI.

THE SSA WILL MAKE YOU JUMP THROUGH HOOPS FOR THIS!!! My brother should have gotten benefits when our mom died and they kept saying he wasn't eligible then FINALLY after we got a lawyer they admitted he was!! We had to fight for YEARS and only got backpay for 1 year even though mom died in 2019!!! The system is BROKEN!!! Don't let them tell you no the first time!!!

my aunt tried to get this for my cousin but they said he made too much money from a part time job he had like 10 years ago? makes no sense. good luck with your brother tho!

Call them like a million times and you'll never get thru lol. i spent 4 hours on hold last week

One more important point: When your brother starts receiving the higher benefit amount on your father's record, his benefit status will change from SSDI to Disabled Adult Child (DAC) benefits. This is important because DAC benefits have different rules than regular SSDI. For example, if your brother ever gets married, he could lose the DAC benefits unless he marries someone who is also receiving certain types of Social Security benefits. Also, make sure to bring your brother's birth certificate, your father's death certificate, and proof of your brother's disability to the SSA appointment.

UPDATE: I just spoke with my brother and he says you should also request the benefit verification letter from SSA once everything is processed. It took us another 2 months after approval to get all the payment amounts sorted out correctly. The letter will show exactly how much SSDI and SSI he qualifies for. If the math doesn't add up right (which happened to us), you'll have documentation to help get it fixed. Also, have your brother's current benefit verification letter with you when you go in so you can compare the old and new amounts.

I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm a newcomer here but wanted to share that I went through something similar with my disabled sister when our mom passed. The advice about Disabled Adult Child (DAC) benefits is spot on - your brother should definitely be eligible if he became disabled before age 22. One thing I'd add is to ask SSA about potentially backdating the benefits to your father's date of death. When we applied for my sister, they were able to backdate hers which resulted in a nice lump sum payment. Also, don't be discouraged if the first person you talk to seems confused about DAC benefits - not all SSA employees are familiar with them. Ask to speak with someone who specializes in survivor benefits if needed. The whole process took about 4 months for us, but my sister's monthly income increased by about $400 overall even after her SSI was reduced. Good luck!

I'm new to this community and wanted to first express my heartfelt condolences on your father's passing. I recently joined after my own family started navigating Social Security issues, and I've been incredibly impressed by the depth of knowledge and support shared in this thread. While I don't have personal experience with DAC benefits yet, I wanted to add something I learned when helping my neighbor with her SSA case last year. She found it really helpful to bring a small digital recorder (with permission from the SSA staff) to record important parts of the conversation, especially when they were explaining benefit calculations or timelines. This way she could review everything later without worrying about missing crucial details during what can be a stressful appointment. Also, if you're concerned about getting through on the SSA phone lines to schedule an appointment, many local offices allow you to schedule appointments online through your my Social Security account at ssa.gov. This can sometimes be faster than trying to call during peak hours. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been so educational - from the specific forms to request to the importance of asking for survivor benefit specialists. Your brother clearly has a strong case for increased benefits, and with all the excellent preparation advice shared here, you're in great shape to advocate effectively for him. Wishing you both the best of luck with this process!