Can my disabled daughter get DAC benefits now that husband's on SSDI? Grandson benefit options?

Yes! Your daughter absolutely can qualify for Disabled Adult Child benefits (what SSA calls Childhood Disability Benefits) based on your husband's record since:1. She's disabled before age 222. She's unmarried 3. Your husband is now receiving SSDIThis is likely better than SSI because DAC benefits are usually higher and don't have the strict asset limits of SSI. She should contact SSA immediately to apply.As for your grandson, yes, he can potentially receive benefits as a dependent grandchild on your husband's record if:- He lives with you- You provide at least 50% of his support- His parents aren't providing significant supportAnd yes, you could potentially qualify for spouse's benefits with a child in care, even with a grandchild, IF you have legal custody/guardianship of him. The SSA considers dependent grandchildren the same as children for this purpose when the appropriate legal relationship exists.Call SSA right away to set up appointments for all these applications!

Thank you so much for this information! I had no idea DAC benefits might be higher than SSI. Do you know if my daughter would lose her Medicaid coverage if she switches? That's a major concern since she has ongoing medical needs.

My son went from SSI to DAC last year and it was a NIGHTMARE dealing with SSA!! took 4 months to process and they kept giving us wrong info. make sure u get everything in writing. the DAC benefit was about $625 more per month for us tho so worth the hassle.

Oh wow, that's a significant increase! Did your son have any issues with keeping his healthcare coverage during the transition? That's what I'm most worried about for my daughter.

I want to clarify something important - your daughter may get Medicare after 24 months on DAC benefits, but she could lose Medicaid if her new benefit amount puts her over the income limit for your state. There's something called the

This is right about medicaid!! My brother lost his medicaid when he switched to DAC and it was a disaster for like 6 months until we figured out the pickle amendment thing. Make sure u talk to someone who KNOWS about this rule because alot of the SSA people have no clue!!

I faced similar challenges trying to reach SSA about my daughter's benefits last month. After waiting on hold for hours and getting disconnected multiple times, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me connected to a real person at Social Security in under 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puUIt saved me so much frustration, and I was able to get all my questions answered about transitioning my daughter from SSI to DAC benefits. For complicated situations like yours with multiple benefit types, actually speaking to a knowledgeable representative makes all the difference.

Thank you for the tip! I've been dreading the phone calls because I know how long the waits can be. I'll definitely check out that service because we really need to talk to someone who can look at our specific situation.

my cousins kid got benefits from grandpa's social security but they had to go to court to get custody first. its not automatic they said. good luck!!

This is NOT always true! My neighbor's grandkids got benefits without formal custody, just proof they were living with and supported by grandparents for over a year when the parents weren't in the picture. Every case is different with SSA!

Here's something important nobody's mentioned yet: If your daughter switches to DAC benefits, her payment will be 50% of your husband's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) while he's alive. If your grandson also qualifies, his benefit would also be 50% of your husband's PIA.HOWEVER - there's something called the Family Maximum Benefit that might reduce what everyone gets. It caps the total amount all auxiliaries (dependents) can receive to 150-180% of the worker's benefit. So if multiple people qualify on your husband's record, individual payments might be reduced proportionally.Regarding Medicaid - some states have programs specifically for DAC beneficiaries to maintain Medicaid eligibility. You should contact your state's Medicaid office in addition to SSA when making these changes.

I hadn't even thought about the family maximum limit! That's really important to consider before we make any changes. Would I also be subject to that maximum if I apply for the child-in-care benefit? We need to carefully calculate whether all these changes would actually help our total household income.

u should defintley do it ASAP!! my sister was on SSI forever and when she switched to dads SSDI her payment went from $914 to like $1850!! BUT make sure u tell them about the medicaid thing on day 1!!! we had a disaster with that part. also they will ask for her medical records again even tho shes already been approved disabled which is SO STUPID!!!

This isn't always true about needing new medical records. If her disability determination was within the last 10 years and for the same condition, SSA can often use the previous determination. This is called collateral estoppel. They'll still review the case, but it's typically less intensive than a completely new determination.

well they made my sister provide everything again and the worker told us \

Everyone's talking about benefits but WHAT ABOUT YOUR NEEDS as the caregiver?? You're taking care of a bedridden husband, disabled daughter AND a grandchild! Please look into whether your state has a Caregiver Support Program. Some states offer stipends to family caregivers. Also check if your husband's condition qualifies for any home health aide hours through Medicare or Medicaid. You CANNOT do this all alone without burning out!And make sure when you're at SSA you ask about the Caregiver Credit program - it's not well known but it helps protect YOUR future benefits when you're not working due to caregiving responsibilities.

You're absolutely right - I've been so focused on everyone else that I haven't thought about my own situation. I didn't know there were caregiver support programs. I'll definitely look into that because I am feeling overwhelmed trying to manage everyone's care. Thank you for bringing this up!

wait i thought DAC benefits were only for people disabled before 18? ur daughters 32 so would she even qualify??

That's a common misconception. DAC benefits (officially called Childhood Disability Benefits) are for adults who became disabled before age 22 (not 18). The adult child must be unmarried and have a disability that began before age 22. The parent must be either deceased or receiving retirement or disability benefits. Since OP's daughter became disabled before 22 and her father is now on SSDI, she likely qualifies.

oh ok thanks for clearing that up! social security rules are so confusing sometimes