Social Security benefits for adopted grandchildren - should I switch from deceased parent's record to my retirement record?

Yes, this could definitely be a good move financially! When you adopt children, they become eligible for benefits based on your record. Since you mentioned your work history is likely stronger than your son's, the benefit amount for the boys would probably increase. You'll need to contact SSA and inform them of the adoption. Bring certified copies of the adoption papers to your appointment. They'll recalculate the benefits and determine which record (yours or your late son's) provides the higher amount. SSA will always pay the higher benefit. One thing to note: there is a family maximum benefit that applies to your record, which could limit the total amount your household receives. But it's definitely worth checking into!

i went thru something similar with my niece last yr. make sure u bring EVERYTHING to ssa - birth certificates adoption papers death cert for ur son ur ss cards etc etc. they kept asking me for more papers every time i went in it was so frustrating!!!

This sounds like a good plan but I WARN YOU the family maximum is going to bite you!! My sister adopted her grandkids and when they calculated everything, the increase wasn't as much as she thought because of that stupid family maximum limit thing. They take the total benefits everyone can get on your record and cap it!! It's SO FRUSTRATING how the SSA has all these rules that nobody tells you about until AFTER you've gone through all the paperwork. Still probably worth doing but just be prepared to be disappointed!

I'm a benefits counselor and work with these situations regularly. Here's what you should know: 1. Benefits for adopted grandchildren on your record can be up to 50% of your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) 2. There's indeed a Family Maximum Benefit (typically 150-180% of your PIA) that limits the total benefits payable on your record 3. If your wife is also collecting on your record, that affects the family maximum calculation 4. The good news: SSA will calculate which scenario is more beneficial - continuing survivor benefits on your son's record OR switching to benefits on your record 5. They will pay whichever amount is higher, and there shouldn't be any gap in payments You should definitely pursue this. Schedule an appointment with SSA (don't just walk in) and bring certified adoption documents, death certificate, and your ID. The fact that you're already their representative payee will simplify the process.

I tried getting through to SSA for 3 weeks for a similar situation with my adopted niece. Kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. Someone told me about this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that gets you through to an agent without the wait. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - saved me so much frustration! The SSA agent told me that adopted grandchildren benefits can actually be quite a bit higher depending on your earnings record compared to their parent's.

I know you're asking about benefits but have you updated their social security cards too? After we adopted our grandkid we had to get a new SS card with the new last name and it was a whole separate process from the benefits part. Just a heads up!

When my partner and I adopted my niece after my sister died, we found that the benefit on my record was actually lower than what she was getting on my sister's record. SSA kept her on the higher benefit (my sister's), which surprised me. Just be aware that they'll compare the two and go with whatever gives your grandsons more money. In our case, even though I had higher lifetime earnings, my sister was younger when she died which somehow resulted in a higher benefit calculation for my niece.

make sure u keep the money separate!!! my friend got in big trouble bcuz she mixed her grandsons benefits with her own money. the ssa is super strict about that!!

One more important point: If you decide to switch the boys to your record, you'll need to file SSA-4-BK (Representative Payee Report) for the benefits they received under their father's record before closing that out. This is basically an accounting of how you spent their benefits. Keep all documentation of how their current benefits are being used for their care, education, etc. The transition from one benefit type to another often triggers a review of the previous benefits management.