Disabled daughter turning 18 - Will Social Security benefits change when switching from father's benefits to SSDI?

You need to apply for Disabled Adult Child (DAC) benefits, not regular SSDI. This is a special category for people who become disabled before age 22. The good news is that she can potentially receive a higher benefit based on her father's work record than what she's getting now as a minor child. The benefit is 50% of his PIA while he's alive, and would increase to 75% as a survivor benefit if he passes away. You MUST apply before she turns 18 to avoid any gap in benefits. Take her birth certificate, the guardianship papers (even if not finalized), medical records documenting her disability, and her father's Social Security number to the appointment.

my son has downs and we went thru this last year. its called Disabled Adult Child benefits not SSDI!!!! make sure u say that when u call. they tried to do regular disability for my son at first and its TOTALLY different thing with different rules

I'm in a similar situation with my disabled son who just turned 19. Let me tell you, the process was a NIGHTMARE. We applied three months before his birthday and they STILL messed it up. He went two months with NO CHECKS because they terminated his child benefits before the adult disability was approved!!! Make sure you start IMMEDIATELY and call to check status every single week. The SSA is completely incompetent and doesn't communicate between departments!

When your daughter turns 18, you'll need to apply for benefits as an adult disabled before age 22 (what's known as a Disabled Adult Child or DAC). This is different from regular SSDI because it's based on the parent's work record, not your daughter's. Here's what you need to do: 1. Contact SSA immediately to schedule an appointment (do NOT wait until her birthday) 2. Bring medical records documenting her disability and its onset before age 22 3. Bring your guardianship paperwork, even if it's still in process 4. Request that they do a "protected filing date" to ensure no gap in benefits The benefit amount will likely be higher than what she currently receives as a minor child. If your daughter also has limited assets/income, also look into SSI as a supplemental benefit.

I went through this exact situation with my disabled daughter last year. Getting through to SSA to set up the appointment was the hardest part - I spent DAYS trying to get past the busy signals. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that held my place in line so I didn't have to keep calling back. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Once I actually got the appointment, the process went pretty smoothly. My daughter's benefit actually increased slightly since she was now getting the full disabled adult child amount instead of the minor child benefit. The Claimyr service was definitely worth it to save my sanity after trying for days to get through.

My brother gets DAC benefits. Its really important to know this benefit lets ur daughter keep getting benefits based on ur husband's work record. She doesn't need her own work credits. But u ABSOLUTELY need medical proof that her disability started before 22. My mom kept all the school IEPs and doctors reports from when my brother was little and that helped a lot. Good luck!!!

One thing no one has mentioned yet: if your daughter receives Medicare after being on SSDI/DAC for 2 years, she might also be eligible for a Medicare Savings Program to help with premiums and costs. And depending on your state, the income/asset limits for Medicaid might be different for disabled adult children than for other adults. Make sure to ask about all potential benefits during your appointment. Also, when you call to make the appointment, specifically request someone who specializes in disabled adult child benefits. Not all SSA representatives are equally knowledgeable about this specific benefit type.

did u get guardianship yet??? my friend waited to long and had all kinds of problems because technically her son could make his own decisions at 18 even tho he obviously couldn't really. the SSA made her start the application all over when she finally got guardianship

Based on your updates in the comments, it sounds like you're on the right track. To summarize what you need to do: 1. Call SSA immediately to set up an appointment (use the Claimyr service if you have trouble getting through) 2. Request a specialist in Disabled Adult Child benefits 3. Bring organized medical records, birth certificate, guardianship paperwork 4. Specifically ask for a protected filing date 5. Clarify that you want DAC benefits, not regular SSDI Once approved, her benefits should continue seamlessly, and likely at a higher amount than she currently receives. The benefit will continue indefinitely as long as she remains disabled and doesn't marry (there are marriage restrictions with DAC benefits).

I work as a disability advocate and want to add a few important points that might help. First, when you call SSA, ask if they can do a "concurrent application" - this means they'll process both the termination of her child benefits and the start of her DAC benefits at the same time to minimize any gap. Second, make sure to ask about retroactive benefits if there's any delay in processing - sometimes they can backdate the effective date. Finally, keep detailed notes of every phone call and interaction with SSA, including names and dates. If something goes wrong, having that documentation can be crucial for appeals. The DAC benefit is really designed for situations exactly like yours, so don't let anyone try to steer you toward regular SSDI. You've got this!

I just want to echo what everyone else is saying - definitely call SSA ASAP and specifically ask for Disabled Adult Child (DAC) benefits, not regular SSDI. My cousin went through this transition last year and her benefits actually increased slightly under DAC. One thing that really helped was bringing a timeline of her daughter's medical history organized chronologically - the SSA rep said it made the disability determination much clearer since they could see the progression from early childhood. Also, don't be discouraged if the first person you talk to doesn't seem familiar with DAC benefits - it's unfortunately common. Just politely ask to speak with someone who specializes in disabled adult child cases. The whole process took about 6 weeks for my cousin, but because she applied early there was no gap in payments. You're being proactive by asking these questions now!