Social Security family benefits strategy with disabled adult child and minor kids at 60

I was in a similar situation last year. My wife was approaching early retirement with a disabled adult son and younger children. Let me tell you, the SSA call center wait times were INSANE. I finally tried this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an SSA agent in under 10 minutes instead of waiting for hours. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Regarding your question - yes, the SSA can run benefit estimates for different scenarios. Make sure to specifically ask about the family maximum benefit limit, because that caps the total amount all family members can receive on your record. Also, for your adult child with ASD, you'll need to start the disability determination process separately - having a diagnosis isn't enough.

There's a lot to unpack here, but I'll try to address your main questions: 1. For your adult child with ASD: You need to apply for SSI/SSDI for them as an adult. The process is completely separate from your retirement benefits. They'll need medical evidence showing their disability began before age 22, and that it prevents substantial gainful activity (earning more than $1,550/month in 2025). 2. About taking early retirement: Yes, if you claim at 62, your benefit will be permanently reduced by about 30%. This reduction does NOT directly affect your children's benefits percentage, but it DOES lower the base amount their benefits are calculated from. 3. Family maximum: This is crucial in your situation. There's a cap on total family benefits (usually 150-180% of your full benefit). With multiple children potentially claiming, this maximum will come into play. 4. Your husband: He cannot collect spousal benefits while continuing to work unless he's reached his full retirement age (which he hasn't at 49). The SSA can run different scenarios, but they don't typically do full financial planning. I'd recommend consulting with a financial advisor who specializes in Social Security strategies.

I don't think you're understanding how this works correctly. Your husband CAN'T collect spousal benefits on your record and continue to work - he's too young anyway! He has to be at least retirement age (62). And even then, if he's working, he'll be subject to the earnings test which will reduce or eliminate any benefits. For your 22-year-old with ASD, you need to file for SSI first. They'll evaluate disability regardless of your retirement status. If approved as disabled, THEN when you file for retirement, he can potentially get higher benefits on your record as a Disabled Adult Child (DAC) - but only if his disability began before age 22. As for your 11-year-old twins, yes they could get benefits when you file, but as others mentioned, there's a FAMILY MAXIMUM that will cap the total. And YES, your early filing WILL reduce the base amount for EVERYONE on your record! Honestly, with your husband being the higher earner, it might make more financial sense for everyone to wait and claim on HIS record when he reaches retirement age. The SSA can run calculations but they WON'T tell you the best strategy!!

i filed early at 62 last year and regret it now. my check is so small and my granddaughter who lives with me gets benefits but its not enough for both of us. if ur husband makes good money maybe u should wait to file at ur FRA. but i think ur right to start the disability process for ur autistic son now because it takes forever my nephew with down syndrome took 18 months to get approved

Here's a step-by-step approach to your situation: 1. For your adult child with ASD: - Apply for SSI/SSDI for them immediately as an adult - Gather medical records documenting autism diagnosis - Collect evidence showing inability to work at SGA level ($1,550/month in 2025) - Get functional assessments from doctors/therapists - Document that disability began before age 22 2. For your retirement strategy: - Request your Social Security Statement online to see benefit estimates - Consider that filing at 62 means a 30% permanent reduction - Understand that your 11-year-old twins could get about 50% of your FRA benefit each until age 18 (or 19 if still in high school) - Note that the Family Maximum Benefit will limit total payments (typically 150-180% of your benefit) 3. Timeline considerations: - Your twins will be 19 in 8 years - Your husband won't reach 62 for 13 years - Your FRA is likely 67, which is 7 years after 60 The SSA can provide benefit estimates for different filing ages but won't advise on the best strategy. Since your husband has higher earnings, eventually your family might receive more when he files, but that's many years away. I recommend starting your adult child's disability application process now, as it often takes 1-2 years with appeals.

To answer your follow-up question - your son would receive the higher of the two benefits (either his own SSDI or the DAC benefit on your record), not both. If his DAC benefit would be higher, they'd switch him to that when you file for retirement. One thing no one has mentioned yet: if your adult son with ASD gets approved for SSI initially, he might qualify for Medicaid in your state. Later, if he switches to DAC benefits on your record, he'd eventually get Medicare after 24 months on SSDI - but could potentially lose Medicaid if his benefit amount increases too much. Some states have Medicaid waiver programs to help in these situations. It's important to consider the healthcare coverage implications, not just the cash benefits.

Looking at this from another angle - have you considered the impact on your lifetime benefits? If you file at 62 instead of your FRA (likely 67), you'll receive reduced benefits for potentially decades. The average life expectancy for women is mid-80s. Let's create a simplified example: - At 62: $1,000/month ($12,000/year) - At 67 (FRA): $1,425/month ($17,100/year) If you live to 85: - Filing at 62: 23 years of benefits = $276,000 - Filing at FRA: 18 years of benefits = $307,800 That's a difference of $31,800 in total benefits, not counting COLAs. Yes, your 11-year-old twins would get benefits for 6-7 years if you file at 62, but is that temporary advantage worth the permanent reduction to your lifetime benefits? This is especially important since you mentioned you have limited work history, so Social Security may be a significant part of your retirement income. I recommend running calculations with actual benefit amounts from your MySocialSecurity account to see the true impact in your specific situation.

my sister has a son with autism and she got him on SSI when he was 19. they denied him first time and she had to appeal. make sure you have good documentation from doctors and maybe even school records from when he was younger showing his limitations. they look at ability to work not just the diagnosis.

Regarding your question about using an attorney for disability claims: many people do succeed without attorneys for the initial application, but approval rates with professional representation increase significantly at the appeal stages. For initial applications, focus on thorough documentation: 1. Medical records showing diagnosis and functional limitations 2. Statement from treating physicians about work limitations 3. School records showing accommodations and challenges 4. Evidence of failed work attempts or job accommodations needed 5. Detailed description of daily activities and limitations If denied (and statistically, about 70% of initial applications are), then seriously consider a disability attorney for the appeal. They typically work on contingency (taking a percentage of backpay if you win, nothing if you don't), and the fee is capped by law. As for the family maximum calculation you asked about earlier - it's complex. The maximum is between 150-180% of your Primary Insurance Amount (your benefit at FRA). If the total of your benefit plus your children's benefits exceeds this maximum, their benefits (not yours) get proportionally reduced. This is why it's worth running the actual numbers for your specific situation before deciding when to file.