Social Security disability review never happened for disabled adult child - appeal rejected without medical updates

The same thing happened with my son!!! When he turned 18 his benefits stopped and no one told us about the disabled adult child review process. We had to start completely over with a new application. The system is TERRIBLE about explaining transitions between child and adult disability. From what I understand, they should have automatically evaluated her for DAC benefits when she turned 18 if she was already receiving dependent benefits.

You should absolutely file another appeal, but I strongly recommend getting an attorney this time. The second appeal level (reconsideration) often has a high denial rate, but the hearing level with an Administrative Law Judge is where many cases succeed. Attorney fees for Social Security disability cases are regulated - they only get paid if you win, and it's capped at 25% of backpay or $7,000, whichever is less. Look for an attorney who specializes in SSDI/SSI cases, particularly someone with experience in Disabled Adult Child benefit cases, as these have specific requirements like proving the disability began before age 22.

The speed of that decision is definitely suspicious. It normally takes SSA weeks or months to process anything. This suggests they might not have actually reviewed the new medical evidence you submitted on the deadline date. As for the Disabled Adult Child benefits (technically called Childhood Disability Benefits), there's a specific process for that. Your daughter would need to have been disabled before age 22, and meet the adult disability criteria. The fact that she was receiving benefits on her father's record as a minor dependent doesn't automatically qualify her - there should have been a separate determination when she aged out of child benefits. I would specifically request that determination now.

For your immediate concerns: 1) Yes, absolutely file the next appeal within 60 days of receiving the denial. 2) In the appeal, specifically highlight that they failed to consider the medical evidence you submitted by the deadline. 3) The quick turnaround suggests they may have had the decision nearly finalized before receiving your latest submissions. Regarding the Disabled Adult Child benefits - you need to specifically request this review. When you call SSA tomorrow, tell them you want to file for "Child Disability Benefits (CDB)" on her father's record, and explain that this review never happened when she aged out of child benefits. This is different from a regular SSDI application. They should be able to initiate this process retroactively.

Are u sure u filled everything out right the first time? Cuz SS is really picky about all the forms and if you missed something they just deny you automatically. My cousin had to apply 3 times before he got approved and he's completely disabled can't even walk.

I spent 8 months trying to reach someone at Social Security about my disabled daughter's case and kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. Finally found this service called Claimyr that got me through to a real person at SSA in less than 10 minutes! They basically call SSA for you and then connect you when they get an agent. Saved me hours of frustration. Check out their demo video: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - their website is claimyr.com if you want to save yourself the headache tomorrow.

One more important point about your daughter's case: for Disabled Adult Child benefits (DAC/CDB), she needs to meet the disability criteria AND be unmarried. If she got married at any point, even briefly, she might be disqualified unless the marriage was to another DAC beneficiary. Make sure to address this explicitly in your appeal.

They ALWAYS deny everything the first time, don't get discouraged!!! My brother has Down syndrome and we had to appeal twice before they approved him. The system is designed to wear people down so they give up. Keep fighting!

When you file the appeal, be sure to request a complete copy of your daughter's claim file through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. This will show you exactly what medical evidence they considered and what they overlooked. You might be surprised at what's missing from their files despite what you've submitted. Also, since your daughter was 18 when benefits on her father's record stopped, you should ask specifically about filing for both DAC benefits (on her father's record) AND SSI for the interim period if there's a gap in coverage.