Social Security confusion - why is my adult child with cerebral palsy only getting SSI not SSDI benefits?

The main difference is work credits - SSDI requires work credits, which your son likely doesn't have if he's been disabled since childhood. However, there are two potential paths to SSDI for him: 1. Childhood Disability Benefits (CDB) - If either you or your son's other parent is receiving Social Security retirement or disability, OR has died and was fully insured, your son might qualify for benefits on that parent's record as an adult disabled child. These are sometimes called DAC (Disabled Adult Child) benefits. 2. If he has worked at all and earned some credits before becoming unable to work. SSI is needs-based with strict income and resource limits, while SSDI is based on work history/credits. The fact that he already receives SSI confirms he meets the medical disability criteria - it's just a matter of whether he can qualify through one of the SSDI pathways.

my nephew got the same problem!!!! hes had CP since he was born but only gets the SSI checks which is NOT ENUGH to live on these days!!!!! nobody at social security ever mentioned he could get more even tho my sis asked them directly more then once. the system is BROKEN

If your son's father worked enough quarters and was "fully insured" when he passed away, your son absolutely should apply for Disabled Adult Child benefits (what SSA calls CDB - Childhood Disability Benefits) on his father's record immediately. Here's what you need to know: 1. Your son must have been disabled before age 22 (which he was) 2. He must be unmarried (unless married to another beneficiary) 3. His father must have been fully insured when he died These benefits would likely be higher than SSI, and they don't have the same strict income and resource limits. If approved, he might get some back pay too. You'll need the father's death certificate and your son's medical records going back to childhood. Don't delay - there can be time limits for claiming!

It's all about the work credits. SSDI is an insurance program - you have to pay into it (or a parent does). SSI is just welfare for disabled people who haven't worked enough. That's why the payment is so low. Your adult son doesn't qualify for SSDI on his own record because he hasn't worked and earned the required credits.

Based on what you've shared, your son should absolutely apply for Disabled Adult Child benefits on his deceased father's record. Here's the process: 1. Call SSA at 1-800-772-1213 to schedule an appointment specifically for DAC/CDB benefits (Disabled Adult Child/Childhood Disability Benefits) 2. Bring to the appointment: - Your son's and his father's Social Security numbers - Father's death certificate - Medical evidence of disability before age 22 - Your son's birth certificate showing relationship 3. The medical review may be expedited since he's already been found disabled for SSI purposes If approved, the benefits would replace SSI if they're higher (which they typically are). He would also gain Medicare coverage after 24 months of entitlement, even if he's under 65.

Have you tried Claimyr? I was in the same boat - kept getting disconnected or waiting on hold forever when trying to contact SS about my disabled daughter's benefits. Claimyr got me connected to a real SSA agent in about 15 minutes instead of the hours I was wasting before. You can see how it works in their video demo: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU They basically call SSA for you and then call you when they get through to an agent. Saved me a huge headache when I was trying to get my daughter's benefits sorted out after her dad died. The website is claimyr.com - definitely worth checking out when you need to actually speak to someone at Social Security!

I went through this EXACT situation with my brother who has Down syndrome. He was only getting SSI for years even though my father had retired and was collecting Social Security. Nobody at SSA bothered to tell us he could qualify for disabled adult child benefits on my dad's record! We eventually figured it out, applied, and his monthly payment nearly doubled plus he got Medicare instead of just Medicaid. One important thing to know - if your son gets approved for benefits on his father's record, there might be a 5-month waiting period before benefits start. Also, there's a possibility of some back benefits from the time of his father's death, though there may be limitations on how far back they'll go. The transition from SSI to SSDI/DAC benefits can be complicated with payment adjustments and possibly some overlap, but it's absolutely worth doing.

To address the question about paying back SSI: When someone transitions from SSI to DAC benefits and receives backpay, SSA will adjust for the SSI already received during that period. They won't make you write a check to pay it back, but they will reduce the backpay amount by what was already paid through SSI. It's called "windfall offset." This is actually a good thing - it prevents having to deal with an overpayment notice later. The total you end up with should still be more than if your son had remained solely on SSI during that period. Also, be prepared that if your son gets approved for DAC benefits, his SSI will likely stop completely if the DAC benefit amount exceeds the SSI federal benefit rate. But he'll be better off financially with the higher DAC payment.

Good news - your son receiving DAC benefits on his father's record will NOT affect your future retirement benefits at all. Your retirement will be based on your own work record, and benefits paid to one qualified beneficiary don't reduce payments to other beneficiaries. The total family maximum might come into play if there were multiple people drawing on the same record (like if your late husband had multiple children qualifying for benefits), but that wouldn't affect your own retirement on your record. Please do pursue this for your son as soon as possible. DAC benefits are significantly better than SSI in most cases - higher payment amounts, no resource limits to monitor, and Medicare coverage after 24 months of entitlement.