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'm dealing with a very similar situation right now! My son has been on SSI since he was 5, and I filed his DAC application 8 weeks ago when I started collecting my retirement benefits. The waiting is absolutely nerve-wracking, especially when you can't get through to anyone on the phone. What's been helpful for me is keeping a detailed log of all my attempts to contact them - dates, times, who I spoke with (if anyone), and what they told me. This has been useful because I've gotten conflicting information from different reps, just like others have mentioned here. One thing I learned from my case worker before she left (of course they reassigned me right after I filed) is that they often batch process these DAC applications, so sometimes there are weeks where nothing seems to happen, then suddenly a bunch get processed at once. The account access issue is definitely normal - mine was down for about 3 weeks and just came back online last week. Now it shows "pending" status instead of just his SSI info, which I'm hoping is a good sign. Hang in there! From everything I've read here, it sounds like we're both still within the normal timeframe, even though it feels like forever when you're living it.

I went through this exact same process with my daughter about two years ago! Filed her DAC application in September and didn't get approval until February - so almost 5 months total. The mySSA account being inaccessible is completely normal during the transition, though it's super frustrating when you're already anxious about the process. A few things that might help: First, don't worry about her losing income - they should continue the SSI payments until the DAC benefits kick in. Second, the DAC benefits will likely be higher than her SSI, and you'll get backpay for the difference. Third, I found that sending a written inquiry through the contact form on the SSA website (when you can access it) sometimes got faster responses than calling. The most important thing I learned is that "no news" during this process usually means everything is proceeding normally. They're just really backed up. Your October filing puts you at about 6 weeks now, which is still well within the normal 3-5 month window everyone here is mentioning. Keep trying to call if you want peace of mind, but don't panic if you can't get through. The system is slow but it does work eventually. Hang in there!

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?

I'm going through almost the exact same situation right now! Filed my son's DAC application in late September when I started my retirement benefits, and we're at about 7 weeks with radio silence from SSA. His mySSA account has been inaccessible for the past 3 weeks, which had me really worried until I read all these responses. It's so frustrating how the reps give completely different timeframes - mine told me "6-8 weeks tops" and here we are. Reading everyone's experiences here is honestly the most helpful information I've gotten through this whole process. The fact that the account issues are normal and that SSI continues during the transition is such a relief to know. I've been trying the early morning calling strategy that a few people mentioned, and I did get through once around week 5. The rep basically just said "it's processing" and couldn't give me any specifics, but at least confirmed they had everything they needed. Thanks to everyone for sharing your timelines and experiences - it's making this waiting period much more bearable knowing we're not alone in this!

I'm also in the middle of this process right now! Filed my daughter's DAC application about 5 weeks ago when I started collecting my retirement benefits. She's been on SSI since childhood and like many others here, the rep made it sound like it would be a quick transition since her disability was already established. Reading through all these experiences has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea the mySSA account going down was normal during processing. Mine's been inaccessible for about 2 weeks now and I was starting to panic thinking something went wrong. It's both frustrating and reassuring to see that 3-5 months seems to be the actual reality despite what the reps initially tell people. The consistency in everyone's experiences here gives me confidence that we're just dealing with normal processing delays rather than actual problems with our applications. For anyone else going through this - documenting everything like Miguel suggested is really smart. I wish I had started keeping better records from day one. Also trying the early morning calling strategy this week since several people mentioned having better luck that way. Thanks to everyone for sharing their timelines and experiences. This thread is honestly more informative than anything I've gotten from SSA directly!

I'm currently going through this exact same process! Filed my daughter's DAC application about 3 weeks ago when I started my retirement benefits. She's been on SSI since she was 7, and like everyone else here, I was told it would be "straightforward" since her disability was already established. Reading through all these experiences has been such a relief - I had no idea this was such a common timeline issue or that the mySSA account going down was normal. Her account is still accessible for now, but based on what everyone is sharing, I should probably expect it to become unavailable soon. The range of 3-5 months that people are reporting is definitely not what I was expecting based on my initial conversation with SSA. It's frustrating how inconsistent the information is, but I'm grateful to find this community where people are sharing real experiences and actual timelines. I'm definitely going to start keeping detailed records like Miguel suggested and try the early morning calling strategy if I need to follow up. It's comforting to know that the waiting and uncertainty we're all experiencing is unfortunately just part of the normal process. Thanks to everyone for sharing - this thread has been more informative than anything I've gotten from SSA directly!

I'm currently dealing with this exact situation too! Filed my daughter's DAC application about 6 weeks ago when I started collecting retirement benefits. She's been receiving SSI since she was 4 years old, and just like everyone else here, the rep assured me it would be a quick process since her disability was already established. Her mySSA account became inaccessible about 2 weeks ago, which really had me panicked until I found this thread. It's incredible how many people are going through the identical experience with the same timeline issues and account problems. What's really frustrating is how SSA doesn't prepare you for any of this upfront. They should definitely tell people to expect 3-5 months and warn about the account access issues during processing. Would save so much anxiety! I've started keeping detailed records of all my contact attempts after reading Miguel's suggestion - wish I had thought of that earlier. Also planning to try the early morning calling strategy that several people mentioned having success with. This community has been more helpful than anything I've gotten directly from SSA. It's comforting to know we're all in this together, even though the waiting is absolutely brutal. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences and timelines!

I'm currently in week 8 of waiting for my son's DAC application approval - filed in early October when I started my retirement benefits. He's been on SSI since childhood, and like so many others here, I was told it would be "straightforward and quick" since his disability was already established. His mySSA account has been inaccessible for about 3 weeks now, which had me really worried until I read through all these experiences. It's honestly shocking how many people are dealing with the exact same timeline and issues right now! The most frustrating part is definitely the inconsistent information from SSA reps. Some say 6-8 weeks, others say 3-5 months, and clearly the reality is closer to the longer estimate. They really should be upfront about the actual timeframes and warn people about the account access issues during processing. I've been trying the early morning calling strategy that several people mentioned, but still haven't gotten through. Started keeping detailed records of my attempts after reading Miguel's suggestion - definitely wish I'd done that from the beginning. This thread has been incredibly helpful and reassuring. It's comforting to know that all of us experiencing the same frustrating wait are actually just going through the normal (albeit lengthy) process. Thanks to everyone for sharing your real experiences - it's more informative than anything I've gotten directly from SSA!

I'm currently at the 5-week mark with my daughter's DAC application and this thread has been a lifesaver! Filed in mid-November when I started my retirement benefits, and like everyone else here, was told it would be "quick and straightforward" since she's been on SSI since age 6. Her mySSA account just went down this week, which sent me into panic mode until I found all these similar experiences. It's incredible how consistent everyone's timelines are - really shows this is just the normal (frustrating) process rather than individual problems with our cases. The lack of clear communication from SSA about realistic timeframes is really disappointing. Based on everyone's experiences here, I'm now mentally preparing for 3-4 months rather than the 6-8 weeks I was initially told. I've started keeping detailed records of all contact attempts after reading Miguel's suggestion - definitely going to try the early morning calling strategy if I need to check status later on. Thanks to everyone for sharing their real experiences and timelines. This community support makes the waiting so much more bearable knowing we're all going through the same process together!

I'm currently going through this exact same process! Filed my son's DAC application about 9 weeks ago when I started collecting retirement benefits. He's been on SSI since he was 8, and just like everyone else here, I was told it would be a "straightforward transition" since his disability was already established. His mySSA account has been inaccessible for about a month now, which really stressed me out until I found this thread. It's amazing how many people are experiencing identical timelines and issues - really shows this is just the normal (albeit frustrating) SSA process. I finally got through to someone last week using the early morning calling strategy (called right at 8am on a Tuesday). The rep confirmed they have everything they need and said it's "in processing" but couldn't give me any specific timeline. At least I know it's moving forward! The inconsistent information from different reps is definitely the most aggravating part. I've been told everything from "6 weeks" to "up to 5 months" depending on who I talk to. Based on everyone's real experiences here, I'm now prepared for the 3-4 month reality rather than the optimistic estimates. Thanks to everyone for sharing your timelines - this community has been more helpful than anything I've gotten directly from SSA! It's reassuring to know we're all going through the same waiting game together.

I'm currently dealing with this exact situation as well! Filed my daughter's DAC application about 7 weeks ago when I started my retirement benefits. She's been receiving SSI since she was 12, and like so many others here, I was assured it would be a "quick process" since her disability was already established. Her mySSA account went down about 2 weeks ago, which had me really panicked until I found this thread. It's incredible how many of us are going through nearly identical experiences with the same timeline issues and account access problems! What strikes me most is how SSA consistently gives misleading timeframes upfront. Based on all the real experiences shared here, it's clear that 3-5 months is the actual reality, not the 6-8 weeks most of us were initially told. They really should be more transparent about this from the beginning to save families so much unnecessary stress and confusion. I've started keeping detailed records of all my contact attempts after reading through everyone's suggestions here - definitely wish I had thought of that sooner. Planning to try the early morning calling strategy that several people have had success with. This community has been absolutely invaluable for understanding what's actually normal in this process. It's both frustrating and reassuring to know we're all experiencing the same lengthy but apparently standard waiting period. Thanks to everyone for sharing your real timelines and experiences - it's more helpful than anything I've gotten directly from SSA!