DAC benefits application taking forever - SSA account suddenly inaccessible?

DAC benefits can actually take 3-5 months even when they already have SSI. The ssa rep shouldnt have told u it would be quick. They always say that lol. But the account not working is weird, might be maintenance or something?

my brother went thru this exact thing last year. his account also disappeared during processing. dont worry its normal while they switch benefit types!

The transition from SSI to Disabled Adult Child (DAC) benefits involves several administrative steps that can take time. What's happening is that SSA has to: 1. Verify your entitlement to retirement benefits 2. Calculate your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) 3. Calculate your child's benefit amount (usually 50% of your PIA) 4. Process the transition from SSI to DAC benefits The temporary inability to access the mySSA account is actually common during this transition period as the system updates their benefit type. This doesn't indicate a problem with the application. Regarding timeframe, while straightforward cases can be processed in 6-8 weeks, 3-4 months is more typical. The good news is that benefits will be paid retroactively to the month you became entitled to retirement benefits (if that's when you applied for DAC), so no money is lost during the waiting period. If it's been more than 6 weeks with no communication, I would recommend calling SSA to check on status. Unfortunately, getting through to them can be challenging.

THEY ALWAYS LIE ABOUT TIMEFRAMES!!! Every single rep gives different information. When my son switched from SSI to DAC it took SIX MONTHS and nobody would tell me what was happening. I called 14 times and got 14 different answers. The whole system is designed to frustrate us into giving up. And yes, the account access issues are normal but NOBODY TELLS YOU THAT until you panic and waste hours trying to figure it out. I'm still bitter about how they handled everything.

I recently helped a client through this exact process. Here's what you need to know: - Yes, the online account often becomes temporarily inaccessible during benefit transitions - SSI payments should continue until the DAC benefits begin - DAC benefits will be higher than SSI in most cases - Backpay will be calculated from your retirement entitlement date One thing you should do immediately is call and check if they need any additional documentation. Sometimes applications get held up because they're waiting for information they never actually requested from you. I've found that calling SSA early in the morning (right when they open) gives you the best chance of getting through. If you're still having trouble reaching someone, I've had clients use a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you skip the phone wait. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU that shows how it works. It's been helpful for cases where you really need to get an update on status.

wait i'm confused. isnt DAC different from SSI? i thought SSI was the one with the asset limits and DAC was from your parents work credits? my daughter gets DAC benefits because of my husband's disability but we never did SSI first. or are you talking about something else?

btw has anyone tried going to the local office? sometimes they can tell you more in person than on the phone

Just wanted to add my experience - my son's DAC application took exactly 14 weeks from submission to approval. His mySocialSecurity account was unavailable for about 3 weeks during processing. They continued his SSI payments until the DAC kicked in, and then he got a nice backpay amount for the difference between the higher DAC payment and his old SSI rate. Hang in there!

hey quick question sorta related - does anyone know if the DAC recipient can work part time? my niece wants to try working like 10 hrs a week at a craft store but we're scared it will mess up her benefits

I'm going through something similar right now! My daughter's DAC application has been pending for about 10 weeks. The mySSA account issue is definitely normal - ours went down around week 3 and came back around week 7, but now it shows her new benefit type even though we haven't gotten the approval letter yet. One thing that helped us was requesting a status update in writing through their online portal before the account went down. That way we had documentation of when we applied and could reference it when calling. Also, I found that calling right at 8am on Tuesday mornings seemed to get me through faster than other times. The waiting is brutal but from what I've read here and experienced myself, it sounds like 3-4 months is pretty standard even for "straightforward" cases. Hope you get good news soon!

I filed June of 2024 im still waiting i just gave them a ton of paperwork and mailed it a few days ago im getting a lawyer that's the best avenue especially if they are messing around or if ur waiting for huge backpay that's why im getting. A lawyer for a huge backpay from years ago since my disability started before 22 I hope all goes well with you any updates?