Social Security DAC benefits nightmare - daughter marked as deceased while application pending for a year

I'm so sorry you're going through this nightmare. This type of error (marking someone as deceased) is one of the most difficult to correct in the SSA system because it triggers so many automatic processes. The good news is that since you've already had congressional involvement and the error has been acknowledged, you're past the worst part. For the DAC benefits, here's what I recommend: 1. Request a formal status update in writing through certified mail to your local office 2. In your letter, reference the congressional case number and ombudsman involvement 3. Specifically request they assign a critical case flag due to the previous error 4. Ask for written confirmation of your daughter's current status in their system 5. Make sure to note how long it's been since the initial application date If you don't get a response within 15 business days, I'd go back to your congressional representative's office. They can often get updates much faster than individuals can.

my mom went thru something similar with my brother!!! SSA is THE WORST with these special needs cases. they declared him dead too when he was hospitalized for like 3 months. took forever to fix. keep bugging your congress person, thats the only way we got anywhere

The "deceased" error is unfortunately more common than you'd think. I've worked with several families who've faced this exact nightmare. What complicates your situation is that you're dealing with both the error correction AND waiting for a DAC determination. At this point, I'd recommend requesting a formal "critical case review" - this is different from standard processing. Call your local office and specifically use the phrase "dire need situation" and request to speak with the office manager or assistant manager. Explain that the application has been pending for over 12 months AND had a major systems error that required congressional intervention. Also, since your daughter has been on SSI for 33 years, the DAC benefit determination should be straightforward since her disability is already established. The main hold-up is likely calculating the proper benefit amount based on your deceased husband's record.

I cant believe they told you your daughter was dead!!!! SSA is COMPLETELY incompetant in my experience. My dad had something similar happen and nothing ever got fixed until he died for real! Im sorry but you have to SCREAM at them sometimes just to get them to do there jobs!!!

Hey there - I went through a similar nightmare trying to reach SSA for 3 months straight about my disability review. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual SSA agent in under 2 hours after weeks of trying. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Since you've already got congressional involvement, having a direct conversation with SSA might help push things forward. Getting someone on the phone is half the battle with them these days.

I'm a former SSA employee, and your case should definitely be escalated as a critical case. The DAC benefits are particularly complicated because they involve multiple systems - your deceased husband's record, your daughter's SSI record, and the disability determination. What's likely happening is that the incorrect death entry created a "broken link" in their system that's still causing problems. Here's what I suggest: 1. Contact your local office again, but this time ask specifically for a "Technical Expert" who handles DAC claims 2. Request a "MYSSA inquiry" which is an internal review of stalled cases 3. Ask if your case has been assigned to a specific Claims Specialist and request their direct contact information 4. If they say they can't give you that info, ask for the Office Manager and request a callback within 48 hours If the application has been pending over 12 months with an acknowledged system error, they should be able to expedite processing. Also, confirm they have the correct contact information for you in the system.

has ur daughter been seen by SSA doctors yet for DAC? my cousin had to do that even tho he was already getting SSI. took forever and they asked for the same records like 3 times its so stupid

Something I just thought of - check to make sure your daughter's Medicare/Medicaid status is correct. If she was erroneously marked as deceased, her health insurance might have been terminated and never reinstated. That could be causing additional problems with her DAC application. Also, since your daughter has been on SSI for many years, the switch to DAC benefits should be handled as a "conversion" rather than a brand new disability determination. The main review should be establishing relationship to the wage earner (your late husband) and calculating the correct benefit amount, not reevaluating her disability status. Given the complexity, I would recommend putting everything in writing going forward - keep copies of all correspondence and send everything via certified mail. This creates a paper trail that can be very helpful if you need further congressional intervention.

do you have copies of the death error correction? make sure to bring those EVERY TIME you talk to anyone at SSA cause they will try to say it never happened!!!! happened to my uncle and they kept saying there was no record of the mistake!!!!

Just to follow up on my earlier comment - I wanted to clarify that DAC benefits can actually be substantially higher than SSI in most cases, so continuing to pursue this is definitely worthwhile. The monthly benefit will be based on your deceased husband's earning record, and unlike SSI, DAC benefits aren't reduced by other income or resources. Plus, after 24 months on DAC, your daughter would qualify for Medicare in addition to her Medicaid. One thing to check: has your daughter ever worked? Even minimal work can sometimes complicate DAC claims if SSA needs to determine if she's engaged in Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA). If she has never worked, make sure you emphasize this point to help streamline the determination.

I've been through this exact nightmare with my brother. The DAC benefits are worth fighting for though. Have you followed up with the congressional office recently? They can request something called a "congressional inquiry status report" which forces SSA to provide updates. In our case, we found out the application was just sitting on someone's desk for MONTHS with no action. Also, don't forget to ask about retroactive benefits. Since your application has been pending for a year, they should backpay from the application date. Make sure they don't try to reset the clock because of their error!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this bureaucratic nightmare. As someone who works with disability advocates, I've seen the "deceased" error cause massive delays because it corrupts multiple database entries that need to be manually corrected across different SSA systems. A few additional suggestions beyond what others have mentioned: 1. Request a "case summary printout" from SSA showing all actions taken on your daughter's file since the original application. This will help you identify where exactly the process stalled. 2. Ask specifically if the DAC application is in "pending status" or if it needs to be resubmitted due to the death record error. Sometimes these errors require starting over completely. 3. Contact your state's Protection & Advocacy organization - they specialize in disability rights and often have direct contacts within SSA who can expedite complex cases like yours. 4. Document everything with timestamps. Create a log of every phone call, letter, and interaction. This becomes crucial evidence if you need to escalate further. The fact that your daughter has 33 years of established SSI history should work in your favor - there's no question about her disability status. The holdup is likely purely administrative at this point. Hang in there. These cases do eventually get resolved, especially with congressional pressure.