Confused about DAC and CIC benefits with family maximum - will SSI top-up work for my disabled son?

The family maximum is indeed 150% of the primary worker's benefit amount, but the distribution isn't necessarily an even 50/50 split between auxiliary beneficiaries. The Disabled Adult Child (DAC) benefit has priority over the Childhood-in-Care (CIC) benefit. Your son would be entitled to up to 50% of your wife's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), and then whatever is left over within the family maximum would be available for your CIC benefit.If your son's DAC benefit would be less than his current SSI payment, then yes, SSI would provide a partial payment to make up the difference. This is called concurrent benefits. He'd receive the DAC benefit first, then a reduced SSI amount to bring him up to the current SSI level (minus the $20 general income exclusion).And no, applying for CIC benefits now won't affect your future retirement or spousal benefits. When you reach retirement age, you'll still be able to file for your own retirement or spousal benefit, whichever gives you the higher amount.

Thank you so much! So it sounds like my son would get priority for his full 50% of my wife's PIA first, and then I'd get whatever is left within the family maximum? That makes me feel better. Do you know if we should wait to hear about his DAC approval before I apply for CIC, or can I do both at the same time?

I went thru something similar with my disabled daughter! Definitely apply for both DAC and CIC at the same time, the SSA will figure out the distribution. And dont worry about your retirement benefits later - the CIC benefit stops when your son turns 16 or when you start collecting retirement benefits, whichever happens later. So you'll still get your full spousal benefit when you reach retirement age (but you cant get both CIC and spousal at same time).

Oh thank you! That's helpful to know I can apply for both at once. My son is 26, so I guess the \

You've received some good information already, but let me clarify a few important points:1. Family Maximum: This is not strictly 150% in all cases. It's calculated using a formula based on the primary worker's PIA, and can range from 150%-180% depending on the PIA amount.2. Benefit Priority: The SSDI worker gets 100% of their benefit. Then auxiliary benefits are allocated in this order: children (including DAC), spouse caring for a child under 16 or disabled (CIC), and then other spouses. 3. SSI Interaction: SSI will supplement if the total DAC benefit is less than the current SSI payment, minus any applicable exclusions. Your son will receive a combined amount approximately equal to his current SSI payment.4. Future Benefits: CIC benefits don't affect your future retirement options. When you reach retirement age, you can file for either your own benefits or spousal benefits, whichever is higher.5. Application Timing: You can apply for both DAC and CIC at the same time. Bring documentation showing you're the caregiver for your disabled adult son.I recommend calling SSA directly about your specific situation since the family maximum calculation can be complex and depends on exact benefit amounts.

Thank you for such detailed information! I've been trying to call SSA for 3 days now but keep getting the busy signal or disconnected. Is there a better time of day to call or some trick to actually getting through to a human?

After trying for weeks to reach someone at Social Security about my husband's disability claim, I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an agent in under 10 minutes! They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puUIt was actually worth it since I'd wasted so many hours redialing and getting nowhere. The agent I spoke with was able to answer all my questions about our family maximum and my kids' benefits.

Oh wow, thank you! I'll check that out. I'm getting so frustrated with the constant busy signals.

I used that service too! Saved me HOURS of redailing. The SSA phone system is a nightmare these days.

dont worry about ur retirement benefits the CIC dont affect that at all. but make sure u tell them ur taking care of ur disabled son when u apply cuz thats the whole point of CIC benefits

Thanks! Yes, I definitely will make it clear that I'm his caregiver. He lives with us and needs daily assistance with most activities.

I think everyone is missing something important here! If your son has NEVER worked, then yes, getting DAC benefits makes sense. BUT if he has ANY work credits of his own, he might actually qualify for a higher SSDI benefit on his OWN record instead of as a DAC. My daughter had worked part-time for a few years before becoming disabled, and her own SSDI benefit ended up being higher than what she would have gotten as a DAC on my record.Also, remember that DAC benefits make him ineligible for SSI's resource limits ($2000), BUT he would still be subject to Medicare's 2-year waiting period. Has your son been on SSI for over 2 years already? If so, he already has Medicaid, which might actually have better coverage than Medicare in your state.This is REALLY COMPLICATED and most SSA agents don't even understand all the ins and outs!!!

That's a really good point! My son has only worked very minimally (a few months at a sheltered workshop years ago), so I don't think he has enough credits for his own SSDI. But you're right about the Medicaid vs Medicare consideration. He's been on SSI and Medicaid for about 4 years now, and his Medicaid covers services that I don't think Medicare would. I hadn't thought about that aspect!

This is an excellent point about Medicaid. If your son switches to DAC benefits, in many states he would keep Medicaid eligibility under what's called the

My sons been on DAC benefits for 5 years now and let me tell you the system is a MESS!!!! When he first switched from SSI to DAC they calculated everything wrong and said we owed thousands in overpayments even though WE reported everything correctly!!! Took 7 months to fix and they still take money every month to repay something we didnt even do wrong!!! Just be prepared for issues no matter what you choose.

Oh no, that sounds terrible! I'm sorry you went through that. Did you have an advocate or lawyer helping you sort it out? I'm worried about making any changes now because his benefits are stable, but it sounds like we're required to apply for DAC.

To answer your specific question about applying for both benefits simultaneously - yes, you can and should apply for both DAC for your son and CIC for yourself at the same time. The SSA will process them together since they're both auxiliary benefits on your wife's record.Regarding benefit amounts: Let's say your wife's SSDI is $2,000 monthly. If the family maximum is 150% ($3,000), then there's $1,000 available for auxiliary benefits. Your son's DAC benefit would typically be 50% of your wife's benefit ($1,000), but if that exceeds the available auxiliary amount, it would be proportionally reduced. Since your son receives priority, if his full DAC amount is $1,000, that would use the entire auxiliary portion, leaving nothing for your CIC benefit in this example.However, if the family maximum is higher or your wife's benefit is lower, making your son's 50% DAC benefit less than the available auxiliary amount, then you would receive a CIC benefit with the remainder.

That example really helps, thank you! My wife's SSDI is around $1,750, so it sounds like there would be $875 available in auxiliary benefits. If I understand correctly, my son would get priority for his DAC benefit (up to $875), and if there's anything left, I might get some CIC benefits. But if his entire SSI payment is $943, he'd still get some SSI to supplement the difference between $875 and $943 (minus exclusions).

my cousin went thru this exact thing!!! his son got the DAC benefit and he got a small CIC payment too. but they had to go to the SSA office in person cuz the phone system is useless

Thanks for sharing! Did your cousin have any issues with the transition from SSI to DAC? I'm worried about potential gaps in payment or Medicaid coverage during the transition.

I keep seeing people talking about 150% for family maximum but thats NOT always right!! It depends on a complicated formula and can be higher!!!Also remember that when your son switches to DAC he will become eligible for Medicare after 24 months, but will LOSE SSI unless his DAC payment is lower than the SSI amount. If he loses SSI he might lose Medicaid depending on your state's rules and that could be a HUGE issue if he relies on Medicaid services!

This is correct. The family maximum formula is: - 150% of the first $1,307 of the worker's PIA, plus - 272% of the PIA over $1,307 through $1,883, plus - 134% of the PIA over $1,883 through $2,457, plus - 175% of the PIA over $2,457 So depending on the worker's PIA, the maximum can be higher than 150%. And the Medicaid consideration is extremely important - each state has different rules about continued Medicaid eligibility for former SSI recipients who transition to DAC benefits.

Thank you everyone for all this helpful information! I'm going to try to set up an appointment with SSA to discuss our specific situation. The Medicaid considerations are especially important since my son uses several Medicaid-funded services. It sounds like I should:1. Apply for both DAC and CIC benefits at the same time2. Check with our state Medicaid office about continued eligibility under DAC3. Understand that my son's benefits get priority before mine4. Know that applying for CIC now won't affect my future retirement/spousal benefitsI really appreciate all of you taking time to help me understand this complicated system!