How will my adult disabled son's benefits change when my husband claims Social Security at 62?

When your husband claims his retirement benefits, it could potentially affect your son's SSI. SSI is needs-based, so if your son lives with you, part of your husband's income could be "deemed" available to your son, potentially reducing his SSI payment. However, this depends on your total household situation. The good news is that your son's Medicaid should continue even if his SSI is reduced, through special provisions for disabled individuals. Look into your state's 1619(b) Medicaid continuation program. You filing or not filing doesn't directly impact your son's benefits at this point since you're not eligible yet.

My brother with downs went thru this when my dad retired. It's super confusing!!! They didnt tell us anything until his check was suddenly $200 less one month. Then we had to go to the SSA office and wait for HOURS. Make sure u keep all the paperwork they send!!

This situation requires careful planning. Since your son lives separately in supported living, the deeming rules are different than if he lived in your household. The critical factors are: 1. Whether you provide more than 50% of his support 2. If your son's SSI is standard or reduced already 3. Your husband's projected benefit amount You should schedule an appointment with SSA specifically to discuss this transition. They can run calculations based on your exact situation. Also, look into whether your son might qualify for Disabled Adult Child benefits (DAC, sometimes called CDB) on your husband's record, which might actually be higher than SSI in some cases.

u need to check if ur son qualifies for SSDI as a disabled adult child (DAC) instead of SSI. My daughter qualified for this when I retired and it was MUCH better than SSI! No asset limits and Medicare instead of medicaid after 2 years. But he needs to have been disabled before 22.

The SSA is IMPOSSIBLE to get clear answers from!!! I've been trying for MONTHS to sort out my daughter's benefits when I retired. Every rep tells you something different. My daughter almost lost her group home placement because of the payment gaps when they were recalculating everything. The system is BROKEN!!!!

When my wife and I faced this with our autistic son (34), we requested something called a "Benefits Planning Query" (BPQY) from Social Security. It's a free report that shows all the benefits he was eligible for and how changes to our situation might affect him. This helped us understand the Disabled Adult Child benefit option which ended up being better than SSI. Just need to fill out an SSA-3288 consent form to request it.

Yes, our son did switch from SSI to DAC benefits when I took my retirement benefits. His monthly payment increased by about $350. He got Medicare after 24 months, but we were able to keep his Medicaid as secondary insurance through our state's working disabled program, even though he only works very part-time. The important thing is to get everything in writing - verbal advice from SSA can sometimes be inconsistent.

my cousin had to pay back $5000 cuz SSA said they overpaid when his dad retired!!! make sure ur keeping track of everything!

I'm so grateful for all this information! I had no idea about the Disabled Adult Child benefits possibility, and I'll definitely be looking into that BPQY report. I'm going to try calling SSA tomorrow to set up an appointment specifically about this transition. My husband is still considering whether to delay his benefits after hearing about these potential complications. Thank you all for sharing your experiences!

One last thing to consider: If your husband can financially manage without taking benefits at 62, delaying until his Full Retirement Age (66-67 depending on birth year) would not only increase his own benefit by about 30%, but would also increase any potential DAC benefit your son might receive. This is something to factor into your decision if your son qualifies for DAC benefits.

As someone who went through this exact situation 3 years ago with my 28-year-old son who has cerebral palsy, I can't stress enough how important it is to get everything evaluated BEFORE your husband files. We made the mistake of not doing our homework first. Here's what I wish I'd known: Contact your local Area Agency on Aging or disability advocacy organization - many have benefits counselors who specialize in these transitions and can help you navigate the SSA system. They often know the local SSA staff and can help ensure you get accurate information. Also, don't just rely on one SSA representative's advice. I got three different answers from three different people until I brought in a benefits counselor who knew exactly what questions to ask. The DAC benefits others mentioned could be a game-changer - my son's monthly payment actually went UP by $400 when we switched him from SSI to DAC on my husband's record. But timing is everything, so please get professional help with this decision!

I work as a disability advocate and see families navigate this transition regularly. One crucial detail many people miss is that you need to report your husband's intent to file for benefits to SSA BEFORE he actually files - not after. This gives them time to properly calculate how it will affect your son's benefits and avoid potential overpayments. Also, if your son does qualify for DAC benefits, there's something called a "protective filing date" that can preserve his eligibility even if there are delays in processing. Make sure to ask about this when you meet with SSA. The other commenters are right about getting multiple opinions - I always recommend families get at least two different SSA representatives to review their situation, and if possible, work with a SOAR-certified benefits counselor who specializes in disability benefits transitions.

You can find SOAR-certified benefits counselors through the SOAR website at prainc.com/soar - they have a "Find Training and TA" section where you can search by state. Also try calling 211 (dial 2-1-1) - they maintain databases of local disability services and can often connect you with benefits counselors in your area. Another resource is the National Association of Benefits and Work Incentives Counselors (NABWIC) website, though their directory isn't always up to date. Your state's vocational rehabilitation office should also be able to refer you to qualified benefits counselors. One more tip from my experience: when you do meet with SSA, bring a written list of questions and take notes during the meeting. Ask for the representative's name and a reference number for your visit. This documentation becomes crucial if you need to follow up or if there are any discrepancies later. The fact that you're doing this research ahead of time puts you way ahead of most families I work with. Good luck!

I'm new to this community but going through a similar situation with my 26-year-old daughter who has Down syndrome. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly eye-opening - especially about the Disabled Adult Child benefits possibility. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is the importance of checking whether your son has any earned income from work, even if it's minimal. My daughter works part-time through a supported employment program, and I learned that this can actually help with the transition between benefit types. There are work incentives that might allow him to keep more of his benefits during the switch. Also, has anyone dealt with how this affects housing vouchers or other state benefits? We're worried about losing our daughter's housing assistance if her federal benefits change. I'm wondering if your son's supported living arrangement has any similar concerns. Thank you all for sharing such detailed experiences - this thread is going to save us so much confusion!

I went through this exact transition with my 32-year-old son who has autism about 18 months ago. Here are the key things I learned that might help: First, definitely explore the DAC (Disabled Adult Child) benefits on your husband's record - this was a game changer for us. My son's monthly benefit increased from $914 on SSI to $1,247 on DAC, plus he qualified for Medicare after 24 months while keeping his Medicaid as secondary coverage. Second, timing matters enormously. We found that filing for DAC benefits the same month my husband filed for retirement actually prevented any gap in payments. SSA can process them simultaneously if you give them advance notice. Third, regarding your son's supported living situation - this actually worked in our favor because he wasn't considered part of our household for deeming purposes, which simplified the calculations. One practical tip: bring ALL documentation to your SSA appointment - your son's disability onset records, proof of his living arrangement, any work records, and your husband's earnings history. The more complete information they have upfront, the smoother the process goes. The transition can be intimidating, but it often works out better financially than families expect. Feel free to ask if you have specific questions about our experience!

I'm new to this community and currently facing a very similar situation with my 35-year-old daughter who has intellectual disabilities. She's been receiving SSI for years, and my husband is considering filing for his Social Security benefits early next year when he turns 62. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea about the Disabled Adult Child (DAC) benefits possibility! Like many of you mentioned, I've been dreading how his retirement might negatively impact her SSI, but it sounds like DAC could actually be much better. My daughter lives in a group home and works about 10 hours per week in a supported employment program. Based on what I'm reading here, her living situation and minimal work income might actually help with the benefit calculations. I'm definitely going to request that Benefits Planning Query (BPQY) report that was mentioned and look into finding a SOAR-certified benefits counselor in our area. The idea of getting everything evaluated BEFORE my husband files seems crucial based on everyone's experiences. One question I have - for those whose adult children successfully transitioned to DAC benefits, how long did the whole process take from application to receiving the first payment? I want to make sure we plan for any potential gaps in coverage. Thank you all for sharing such detailed experiences. This thread is giving me hope that this transition might actually work out better than I feared!

As a disability benefits specialist, I want to emphasize a few critical points that haven't been fully addressed yet: 1. **Asset limits matter**: If your son transitions from SSI to DAC, he'll no longer be subject to the $2,000 asset limit that restricts SSI recipients. This means he could potentially save money or receive gifts without losing benefits. 2. **State supplemental payments**: Some states provide supplemental payments to SSI recipients. Check if your son receives any state supplements, as these might be affected differently than federal benefits during the transition. 3. **ABLE accounts**: If your son doesn't already have one, consider opening an ABLE account before the transition. These accounts allow disabled individuals to save money without affecting benefit eligibility and can be especially valuable when moving from SSI to DAC. 4. **Medicare enrollment timing**: If your son qualifies for DAC, he'll be eligible for Medicare 24 months after his disability onset date for DAC purposes (not necessarily when he first became disabled). Understanding this timeline is crucial for maintaining continuous health coverage. The consensus here about exploring DAC benefits is absolutely correct - in most cases, it results in higher payments and more flexibility. Just make sure to get everything in writing from SSA and don't rely solely on phone consultations for such an important decision.