Child-in-Care benefits while caring for disabled adult child - when can I qualify for Social Security?

Thank you so much for this clear explanation! I haven't remarried, so it sounds like I might qualify. Do you know if there's a specific form I need to fill out? And will my benefits reduce what my son receives from his DAC?

That's so frustrating but also gives me hope! Did your sister have to keep appealing or did she just need to find the right person at SSA who understood the rules?

she just kept calling till she got someone who knew what they were talking about!! took like 5 calls i think. some of them had never even heard of CIC benefits for DAC situations which is crazy

Thank you for this detailed information! Do you know approximately what percentage of the ex-spouse's full retirement amount I would receive as a CIC benefit? And would receiving these benefits impact any future retirement benefits on my own record?

You would receive 50% of your ex-spouse's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), which is their benefit amount at full retirement age, regardless of when they actually claimed. These CIC benefits won't affect your own future retirement benefits. You can receive CIC benefits now and later switch to your own retirement benefits at 62 or later if your own benefit would be higher. The years spent as a caregiver might create gaps in your earnings record, but that's a separate issue from benefit eligibility.

This isn't quite right. The ex-spouse already qualified for retirement benefits, which means they have enough work credits. And the disabled son has already been approved for DAC benefits, so that requirement is satisfied. The family maximum could reduce the benefits proportionally, but everyone will still receive something.

I've had the same experience trying to get through to SSA lately - constant busy signals, disconnected calls, and when I finally reach someone, they give contradictory information. I discovered a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me actually get through to SSA without the endless waiting. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU It was the only way I could actually talk to someone knowledgeable about my complex situation with survivor benefits. Might be worth it for something as complicated as DAC and CIC benefits where general representatives often give incorrect information.

I had no idea this existed! Thank you so much for mentioning it. I'll definitely look into this as well. Do you know if this is something I would ask the SSA about or is it through a different agency?

This would be through your state's Medicaid office, not SSA. Each state administers it differently, but generally you'd need to document that you've been providing care for at least 2 years before you apply for Medicaid yourself. It's definitely worth researching alongside your Social Security benefits.

Good question. If the ex-spouse dies, both the caregiver and the disabled adult child would transition to survivor benefits. The disabled adult child would receive 75% of the deceased's PIA as a survivor benefit (instead of 50% as DAC). The caregiver would receive mother's/father's benefits at the same 75% rate. The family maximum would still apply but is calculated differently for survivors.