Social Security DAC benefits for adult child with autism - switching between parent records

Yes, your son might qualify for DAC benefits if his disability began before age 22, which sounds like the case with autism diagnosed in childhood. The way switching between records works is that your son would be eligible for 50% of your PIA when you start collecting retirement benefits, but could later switch to 50% of your husband's larger benefit when your husband files (up to 75% if your husband is deceased). The optimal strategy depends on several factors: 1. When you plan to take your own retirement (62? FRA?) 2. The severity of your son's disability (must be unable to perform SGA) 3. Whether your son receives SSI currently If your son qualifies for DAC benefits, the earliest he could receive them is when you file for your own retirement, even if that's early at 62. Then when your husband files, your son could switch to the higher amount based on your husband's record.

I went through something similar with my disabled daughter. The SSA made it INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT to get the DAC benefits approved!!! They denied us TWICE before finally approving on appeal. Make sure you have EXTENSIVE medical documentation going back to childhood showing the disability started before 22. Also they will check if your son can do "substantial gainful activity" which was $1,550/month in 2024 (probably higher now). If he earns more than that they will deny him regardless of diagnosis!!! The whole system is BROKEN and designed to deny deserving people!!

The key thing to understand is that your son can draw DAC benefits on your record when you file for retirement, then later switch to your husband's record when he files. This is specifically allowed under Social Security rules. I would consider these factors for maximum family benefits: 1. If you file at 62, your benefit would be reduced to about $1,015 (70% of your FRA amount), and your son would get 50% of that ($507). 2. When your husband files at his FRA, your son could switch to his record and receive 50% of $3,650 ($1,825) - a significant increase. 3. There's also the family maximum to consider - typically 150-180% of the worker's PIA. This might limit the total benefits your family can receive on one record. If maximizing your son's lifetime benefits is the goal, you might consider filing early while your husband delays, giving your son access to benefits sooner while eventually allowing him to switch to the higher amount.

my cousin has an autistic son too and he gets benefits on her record. but they made him go through so many evaluations it was exhausting. they want to see if he can work at all. does your son have a job? if he does they might say he doesnt qualify even with autism. its really frustrating honestly

I struggled with the SSA phone lines for WEEKS trying to get answers about my disabled son's benefits. The hold times were ridiculous - 3+ hours only to get disconnected! Finally I found Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me through to a real SSA agent in under 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The agent I spoke with explained that DAC benefits require proving disability onset before 22 AND continuous disability. For my son, we needed to provide school records, medical evaluations, and statements from doctors establishing his inability to perform substantial work. They were actually really helpful once I could speak to someone! Sounds like your son would qualify based on what you've shared, especially if his autism severely limits his ability to work.

just wondering but doesnt the family maximum benefit rule come into play here? i think thats like 150-180% of the primary workers benefit or something like that. might limit what everyone gets.

when my sister was figuring this out for her kid, she applied for SSI first and got denied because of family income but then she used all that paperwork for the DAC application later. might be worth applying for SSI even knowing you'll get denied just to get the disability determination process started. less headache later.

Let me address your specific timing question. If you're 55 now and considering filing at 62 (in 7 years), your husband would be 55 at that time and 12 years away from his FRA. Let's map this out: - When you're 62: You could file for reduced benefits (~$1,015/month) and your son could receive DAC benefits on your record (~$507/month) - When you're 74: Your husband reaches FRA, files for his full benefit ($3,650), and your son can switch to his record for higher benefits ($1,825/month), while you receive spousal top-up benefits Is waiting until your husband files at his FRA worth it? That's 19 years from now. If your son received $507/month on your record for 12 years, that's approximately $73,000 in benefits he would receive before switching to the higher amount. Another consideration: if your husband becomes disabled before his FRA or passes away, your son could access benefits on his record sooner. Not something anyone wants to think about, but it's part of comprehensive planning.

I'm new to this community but have been following DAC benefits discussions closely as my adult daughter with intellectual disabilities will likely need to apply in the future. From what I've researched, if your husband filed for disability benefits rather than retirement, your son would actually receive the same 50% of his PIA - the calculation doesn't change based on whether it's SSDI or retirement benefits. The key advantage would be timing since disability benefits can start much earlier than retirement benefits. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that you might want to consider consulting with a Social Security attorney who specializes in DAC cases. Many offer free consultations and can help you map out the optimal filing strategy for your specific situation. They can also help ensure you have all the right documentation in place before you apply. Also, have you looked into whether your son might qualify for state disability services or programs? Sometimes having those established can help support the federal DAC application by providing additional documentation of his functional limitations. The timing strategy you're considering (filing at 62 to get some benefits started, then switching your son to your husband's record later) sounds reasonable given the long wait otherwise. Every family's situation is different, but getting something started while planning for the bigger benefit later seems practical.

As someone new to navigating Social Security benefits, I wanted to share what I've learned from my research that might help your situation. One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is that you should consider requesting a Social Security Statement for both you and your husband to verify the PIA estimates you're working with. Sometimes the online calculators can be slightly off, and having the exact numbers will help you make the best timing decision. Also, I'd suggest documenting your son's daily living needs and work limitations now, even before you apply. Keep a journal or log of the assistance he requires - this type of real-world documentation can be very powerful when establishing his inability to perform substantial gainful activity. Given your timeline, starting the DAC application process about 6 months before you plan to file for your own benefits at 62 might be wise. The disability determination can take several months, and you want everything aligned so benefits can start as soon as you're eligible. Your strategy of filing early to get some benefits flowing while planning for the larger benefit later when your husband files really does make financial sense. That's potentially 12 years of benefits ($507/month = over $73,000 total) that would otherwise be lost by waiting.

I'm new to this community but wanted to share some insights from my recent experience helping my sister navigate DAC benefits for her adult son with developmental delays. One thing that really helped us was creating a comprehensive timeline showing when his disability began and how it progressed. We included medical records, school evaluations, therapy reports, and even photos/videos from different ages that documented his limitations. The SSA representative told us this chronological approach made it much easier for them to establish the "onset before age 22" requirement. Also, regarding your timing question - we discovered that once your son is approved for DAC benefits on your record, he becomes eligible for Medicare after 24 months of receiving those benefits (just like other SSDI recipients). This could be valuable healthcare coverage independent of your family's employer insurance, especially if you're transitioning to retirement. Your plan to file at 62 and then have your son switch to your husband's record later sounds solid. The key is getting that initial disability determination completed - everything else flows from there. We found that being very organized with documentation and following up regularly (but politely) with SSA helped move things along. One last tip: consider reaching out to your local Area Agency on Aging or disability advocacy organizations. They often have staff who are very familiar with SSA processes and can provide guidance specific to your state's resources.

I'm new to this community and wanted to share some additional considerations that might help with your planning. One thing I learned while researching DAC benefits is that the "switching" between records isn't always automatic - you may need to specifically request the higher benefit when your husband begins collecting. It's worth noting this in your calendar to follow up with SSA when the time comes, rather than assuming they'll handle it automatically. Also, regarding your concern about the gap between when you file at 62 and when your husband reaches FRA - have you considered whether your husband might be eligible to file for benefits earlier than his FRA? While his benefit would be reduced, if your son could access the higher amount on his record sooner, it might be worth running those numbers. Sometimes filing at 62 vs FRA isn't a huge difference when you factor in years of additional benefits. Another strategic consideration: once your son is established on DAC benefits, he may also become eligible for certain state Medicaid waiver programs that have different income rules than regular Medicaid. These programs can provide additional support services and might have asset limits that work better for your family's situation. The documentation advice from others here is spot-on. I'd also suggest getting a letter from your son's current doctor specifically addressing his ability to work - not just his diagnosis, but a clear statement about why his condition prevents substantial gainful activity. This type of functional assessment carries a lot of weight with SSA.

I'm new to this community and wanted to add something that might help with your DAC application strategy. One thing I discovered while researching for my own family situation is that you can actually submit a "protective filing" for DAC benefits up to 6 months before you're eligible to receive your own retirement benefits. This establishes your son's application date and can help ensure there's no delay in benefits starting when you do file for retirement at 62. Also, regarding the medical documentation everyone's mentioned - I found that SSA gives significant weight to "Activities of Daily Living" assessments. If your son's doctors haven't already completed one of these formal evaluations, it might be worth requesting. These assessments specifically measure things like ability to manage personal care, handle money, use public transportation, etc. - all directly relevant to determining work capacity. One more consideration for your timing strategy: if you file for retirement at 62 and your son begins receiving DAC benefits on your record, but then your husband experiences a qualifying disability before his planned FRA, your son could potentially switch to his record even earlier than you're currently planning for. While nobody wants to think about disability scenarios, it's worth knowing this flexibility exists within the system. Your approach of starting benefits at 62 rather than waiting 19 years really does make the most sense given your family's circumstances. The certainty of getting some benefits flowing now versus the uncertainty of what might happen over nearly two decades seems like sound financial planning.