Social Security benefit name confusion - DAC vs SSDI for disabled adult child on father's retirement

The correct term is DAC - Disabled Adult Child benefits (sometimes called CDB - Childhood Disability Benefits). This is different from SSDI, which is based on a person's own work record. DAC benefits are paid when an adult child with a disability (that began before age 22) qualifies on a parent's record when that parent retires, becomes disabled, or dies.The confusion happens because SSA representatives sometimes use the term 'SSDI' loosely to describe any Social Security disability program. But technically, your daughter is receiving a DAC benefit under your husband's retirement claim.And yes, DAC benefits do have some different rules than regular SSDI. For example, if your daughter gets married, she could lose the DAC benefits (with some exceptions). Also, DAC benefits can continue indefinitely as long as she remains disabled and doesn't marry (unless the marriage is to another DAC or SSDI beneficiary in some cases).

Thank you so much for clarifying! That makes sense why the rep used SSDI even though that's not technically correct. Do you know if DAC benefits have the same medical review process as other disability benefits? We were told years ago she would need to be reviewed periodically on SSI, but it only happened once in all these years due to the severity of her condition.

its definitely dac not ssdi. my son gets it too (he has downs) and i had same confusion at first. ssdi is when YOU work and then become disabled. dac is when your kid was disabled before 22 and gets money from YOUR record. big difference in payment!!! we went from like $900 on ssi to $1900 on dac when i retired last year.

Thanks for sharing your experience! Yes, the payment increase is substantial. Did your son's Medicare coverage change at all when he switched from SSI to DAC? We're trying to figure out if anything will be different with her healthcare coverage.

When my disabled brother started getting benefits from my dad's record, they kept calling them different things too. So frustrating! One letter said SSDI, another said adult child benefits. I think sometimes the people at SSA don't even know the right terms themselves.

OMG this is so true! i swear every time u talk to someone at SSA they tell u something different. i once had 3 different people give me 3 different answers about whether my daughter could keep her benefits if she moved into a group home. ended up having to get it in writing!

The terms can be really confusing because SSA uses different language in different contexts. Technically, DAC (Disabled Adult Child) benefits are a type of auxiliary benefit paid to an adult child who became disabled before age 22, based on a parent's work record. It falls under Title II of the Social Security Act, which also includes retirement and SSDI.So while it's not exactly SSDI, it functions similarly and sometimes is grouped under the SSDI umbrella in general discussions. However, there are important differences in how the benefit is calculated and specific rules that apply.DAC benefits are calculated as a percentage of your husband's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), generally 50% while he's alive. If your daughter was receiving SSI, she'll also need to maintain her disability status, but now the financial basis comes from your husband's work record instead of the SSI program requirements.By the way, if you're still having trouble getting specific questions answered by SSA, I recently discovered a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you skip the long phone wait times to reach an agent. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. I used it last month when I couldn't get through about my wife's benefits and got connected in about 20 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours.

Thank you for that detailed explanation. I didn't realize DAC was calculated as a percentage of my husband's benefit - that explains the significant increase from SSI. And thanks for the tip about Claimyr, I might try that service next time. I've been on hold for 2+ hours multiple times trying to get these Medicare questions answered.

WHATEVER YOU DO DON'T LET HER GET MARRIED!!!!! My cousin lost ALL his DAC benefits when he got married even though his wife doesn't make much money. They didn't tell him until AFTER the wedding and then boom, benefits gone. Now they're struggling to pay for his medical stuff SSI denied him because of her income. The system is DESIGNED to trap disabled people in poverty!!!

You're right about marriage potentially affecting DAC benefits, but there are some exceptions. If a DAC beneficiary marries another DAC beneficiary or someone receiving certain other Social Security disability benefits, they may be able to keep their benefits. It's definitely something that requires careful planning and consultation with SSA before making any decisions.

Couple of important things to note with DAC benefits:1) The medical continuing disability review (CDR) process is the same as other disability benefits - how often reviews happen depends on the severity and likelihood of improvement2) Make sure your daughter's Medicare is set up correctly - she should get Medicare after 24 months on DAC if she didn't already have it3) If she has any assets over $2,000 that weren't allowable under SSI, they won't affect DAC benefits (unlike SSI which had strict resource limits)4) She may be eligible for both Medicare AND Medicaid now (dual eligible) which would cover almost all medical costs5) Some states automatically continue Medicaid when someone transitions from SSI to DAC, others require a new application under different rulesThe technical term is Childhood Disability Benefits (CDB) in SSA's program operations manual, but DAC (Disabled Adult Child) is widely used. Most beneficiaries just call it \

Thank you for these specific points! She already has Medicare from her previous benefits, so that's good. The asset limit change is HUGE - we've always had to be so careful with any money she received as gifts to keep under that $2,000 SSI limit. Does this mean she could now have a savings account over $2,000 without affecting her benefits? That would be life-changing for planning her future care.

its all so confusing!!! my daughter gets ssi now but husband retiring next year. will she automatically switch to his record or do we have to apply? anyone know?

You'll need to apply for DAC benefits when your husband files for retirement - it's not automatic. Bring proof of your daughter's disability onset before age 22 (medical records, previous disability determinations), her birth certificate showing relationship to your husband, and his Social Security number. Call and make an appointment specifically for this when he's ready to file. The earlier the better as benefits can be backdated only 6 months.

My brother's DAC benefit got all messed up because we didn't know there was a waiting period after my dad applied for retirement. We thought it would start right away but there was some 5-month rule or something? Make sure you double check when the benefits are supposed to actually start paying.

thats for SSDI not DAC! DAC on retirement record starts right away. the 5 month waiting period is only for disability claims not retirement. thats why its better for parent to file for retirement if they can rather than disability if their child needs DAC benefits.

Thank you everyone for all these helpful answers! I feel much better now understanding that DAC is the correct term, not SSDI. I've made notes about the marriage rules, asset limits, and Medicare/Medicaid coordination. One last question - does anyone know if we need to inform her day program about this change? She attends a vocational program funded partly through Medicaid. I'm worried this benefit change might affect her eligibility for state services she receives.

Yes, you should definitely inform the day program about the change from SSI to DAC benefits. Some Medicaid-funded programs have different eligibility rules for SSI recipients vs other benefit types. The good news is that most states have provisions to continue Medicaid eligibility for people who were on SSI and switched to DAC (sometimes called the