Social Security options for disabled child turning 18 with deceased father - plus widow benefits at 60?

There's actually a lot to unpack here. For your son turning 18 with special needs: 1. If your son's disability began before age 22, he might qualify for Disabled Adult Child (DAC) benefits based on his deceased father's work record. This would continue the survivor benefits he's getting now. 2. For college students WITHOUT disabilities, survivor benefits can continue until age 19 if they're full-time students, but no later. 3. For your son with special needs, you should apply for the DAC benefits about 3 months before his 18th birthday. You'll need medical documentation proving his disability limits substantial work. 4. He might also qualify for SSI (Supplemental Security Income) depending on his assets and income. Regarding YOUR benefits as a widow: - Yes, widow(er)s can claim reduced survivor benefits as early as age 60 - HOWEVER, since you remarried, you generally can't receive widow's benefits unless your current marriage ends or you remarried after age 60 Hope this helps!

I went through this exact situation with my daughter last year. The DAC benefits (Disabled Adult Child) are basically the continuation of the childhood survivor benefits, but they require a formal disability determination. My advice: 1. Start the application process AT LEAST 4-5 months before his 18th birthday. The disability determination takes forever. 2. The standard for disability is whether he can perform "substantial gainful activity" (SGA) - which is earning more than $1,550/month in 2025. Part-time work below that level doesn't automatically disqualify him. 3. Get a letter from his doctor specifically addressing his limitations in relation to working. This was huge for us. 4. If he's going to college, get documentation from the school about any accommodations he requires. Be prepared for a possible initial denial - about 70% of disability claims are denied first time. We had to appeal but eventually got approved.

Just want to add another thing - if your son is denied for DAC (happens alot first time), make sure to appeal within 60 days!!! My son got denied first time even tho he has severe autism. The appeal process took 8 more months but we finaly got approved. Also check if your state has any benefits for disabled adults - some have programs seperate from social security.

I'm in EXACTLY the same situation with my daughter!!! She just turned 18 last month and we've been fighting with SSA for 5 MONTHS trying to get her benefits continued!!! So frustrating!!! They keep asking for the same medical records over and over even though we submitted everything THREE TIMES already!!!! Did anyone else have this problem?? We applied for the DAC thing but nobody at our local office even seemed to know what it was at first??? They kept mixing up SSI and SSDI and giving us conflicting information. My daughter is having anxiety attacks over possibly losing her benefits!!!!!

I worked for a disability law firm for 6 years, so I can add a little more context. For your son, there are two completely separate paths that could apply: 1. Disabled Adult Child (DAC) benefits - This continues his survivor benefits if he meets the disability criteria. The benefit amount is similar to what he receives now. This is based on his deceased father's work record. 2. Adult SSI (Supplemental Security Income) - This is need-based for people with limited income/resources. The maximum federal amount in 2025 is about $975/month, though some states add a supplement. It's critical to understand that college attendance doesn't automatically disqualify someone from disability benefits. The SSA isn't evaluating whether someone can study; they're evaluating whether someone can sustain competitive employment. Many people with disabilities can succeed academically with proper accommodations but still struggle with the demands of full-time work. One strategy: some families find it helpful to use a service like Claimyr (claimyr.com) to connect with SSA agents by phone. They have a good video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Much better than waiting on hold for hours, especially when dealing with complex cases like DAC benefits where you really need to speak with someone knowledgeable.

the lady at my SSA office told me that college students can get benefits till age 19 if fulltime student!! but sounds like for special needs kids it can go longer with the DAC thing everyone is talking about. good luck!!

what about the max family benefit thing? isn't there a limit on how much one family can get from one worker's record? might be something to check into