Confused about my sister's SSDI/SSI amounts after dad passed - getting different amounts from SSA reps vs mySSA account

This is actually very common in situations involving concurrent benefits (getting both SSDI and SSI). When a beneficiary who was previously on SSI only begins receiving SSDI, especially after a parent's death, there's almost always a period of adjustment where the amounts will fluctuate until everything is properly calculated. The mySSA portal doesn't always show the breakdown between the two benefits, just the expected total. The confusion you experienced with the reps is unfortunately typical - they might be looking at different screens or calculation stages in the system. It can take 2-3 months for everything to stabilize with the correct amounts. In your sister's case, her SSDI amount is based on your father's earnings record (what we call Disabled Adult Child or DAC benefits), while her SSI will be reduced based on that SSDI income.

I went through this exact same thing with my son last year when my wife passed. The numbers kept changing every time I called! What finally worked was getting an appointment with a claims specialist who could actually show me the calculations on paper. The SSI amount will be reduced by the SSDI income (minus the $20 general income exclusion). So if her SSDI is $425, and the max SSI for 2025 is $943, her SSI would be approximately $943 - ($425-$20) = $538. That would make her total $963. But there could be other factors affecting this calculation that I don't know about in your specific case.

the account online usually takes 3-4 weeks to update correct amounts. they have to manually adjust SSI when SSDI starts and its always a mess. my brother got 3 different amounts quoted before it settled. just wait another few weeks it'll fix itself

I had SAME PROBLEM!! Everyone tells you diffrent numbers and online says something else and then check comes and its ANOTHER amount!! Makes me SO MAD!!! How are we supposed to budget???

One important thing to understand is that whenever there's a change in benefits, Social Security has two separate computer systems that need to talk to each other - one for SSDI and one for SSI. Sometimes they don't sync up right away, which is why you get different answers from different representatives. Make sure to request a BPQY (Benefits Planning Query) which is an official document that will show both benefits together. You can request this through your local office.

When my brother started getting DAC benefits after our mom died, we went through 4 months of wrong payments and adjustments. It was a NIGHTMARE. The online account showed one thing, the letters said another, and the actual deposits were completely different! I learned that with concurrent benefits, you absolutely CANNOT trust the online account until everything is finalized. The $1235 total sounds about right though - in 2025 numbers that would be typical for someone receiving both.

Thats so confusing!!! Why cant they just tell us the right numbers from the start????? I always hate calling them they NEVER HELP!!

I recommend you get something in writing. Call and specifically request a 'benefits verification letter' that shows the breakdown of SSDI and SSI. This is more reliable than what representatives tell you over the phone. Given what you described, it sounds like your sister will receive around $425 in SSDI as a Disabled Adult Child benefit on your father's record, and then a reduced SSI payment to bring her up to the maximum allowed total. The mySSA account will eventually catch up, but official letters are your best bet for accurate information.