Child-in-Care benefits while caring for disabled adult child - when can I qualify for Social Security?
My situation feels like a maze of Social Security rules. My ex-spouse (58) just filed for early retirement benefits, and our disabled son (28) has been approved for Disabled Adult Child (DAC) benefits on my ex's record. My son has autism and requires constant supervision - I've been his full-time caregiver since our divorce 15 years ago. I'm only 52, but someone mentioned I might be eligible for Child-in-Care (CIC) benefits since I'm caring for our disabled son. Is this true? Does the primary parent (me) have to be a certain age to qualify for these benefits when the disabled adult child starts receiving DAC? The SSA website is confusing me with all these acronyms and different rules. Has anyone navigated this successfully?
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Harmony Love
Yes, you can qualify for Child-in-Care benefits as the caregiver of a disabled adult child, but there are specific requirements. Here's what you need to know: 1. You don't need to be any specific age to qualify for CIC benefits 2. You must be providing care for your disabled adult child who receives DAC benefits 3. You must be unmarried or married to someone who is not the child's parent 4. Your ex-spouse must be entitled to retirement or disability benefits Since your ex has already filed for retirement benefits and your son is receiving DAC benefits on his record, you should qualify as long as you haven't remarried. Contact SSA right away to apply.
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McKenzie Shade
AuthorThank 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?
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Rudy Cenizo
my sister had this EXACT same situation!!!! the SSA person told her wrong info 3 times and kept saying she couldnt get benefits till 62. finally someone who knew the rules helped her. u definitely CAN get CIC no matter ur age if ur caring for DAC kid. they backdated her payment 8 months after she finally got approved.
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McKenzie Shade
AuthorThat'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?
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Rudy Cenizo
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
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Natalie Khan
I'm a former SSA claims specialist, and I can confirm that there is no minimum age requirement for Child-in-Care benefits when caring for a disabled adult child. To apply, you'll need to submit Form SSA-5-BK (Application for Mother's or Father's Benefits) and specify that you're applying as a caregiver for a disabled adult child. Bring documentation showing your caregiving relationship. Important to note: CIC benefits are subject to the family maximum limit. This means the total benefits paid to all beneficiaries on one worker's record cannot exceed a certain amount. Your benefits won't reduce your son's DAC benefits directly, but if the total exceeds the family maximum, all auxiliary benefits (except the worker's) are proportionally reduced.
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McKenzie Shade
AuthorThank 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?
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Natalie Khan
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.
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Daryl Bright
I was in a similar situation but got denied because my ex didnt have enough work credits. Make sure your ex has enough quarters of coverage for both DAC and CIC benefits. Also the family maximum is a real thing - between your son's DAC and your CIC you might hit that ceiling and get less than you expect.
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Sienna Gomez
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.
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Kirsuktow DarkBlade
The whole Social Security system is designed to make it IMPOSSIBLE to understand on purpose!!! They hope you'll give up and not claim what you deserve. My cousin went through this exact thing with her disabled daughter and the local office kept telling her wrong information for TWO YEARS before she finally got what she was entitled to!
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Abigail bergen
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.
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Ahooker-Equator
One thing nobody mentioned yet - if you're providing care for a disabled adult child who gets DAC benefits, you should also look into whether you qualify for the Medicaid Caregiver Exemption which protects some of your assets if you ever need long-term care yourself. It's related to your caregiver status, not directly to the Social Security benefits, but it's another protection worth knowing about.
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McKenzie Shade
AuthorI 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?
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Ahooker-Equator
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.
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Rudy Cenizo
wait i just realized...what happens to ur CIC benefits when ur ex spouse dies? does everything switch to survivors or what? anyone know??
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Sienna Gomez
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.
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CyberSiren
As someone who just went through this process last year, I want to echo what others have said - you absolutely CAN get Child-in-Care benefits at 52! The key is being persistent with SSA because not all representatives are familiar with these rules. A few practical tips from my experience: - When you call, specifically ask to speak with someone who handles "auxiliary benefits" or "child-in-care benefits for disabled adult children" - Have your son's DAC award letter ready when you apply - Document your caregiving role (medical appointments, daily care activities, etc.) - The application process took about 6 weeks for me, but I received backpay to when my application was filed Also, since your ex filed for early retirement at 58, your CIC benefit will be based on his full retirement age amount (PIA), not his reduced early retirement amount - that's actually better for you! Don't let anyone tell you that you have to wait until you're older. You've been caring for your son for 15 years and deserve these benefits now.
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