Timing for Advance Notice form for 17-year-old foster child's Social Security survivor benefits at 18

Yes, she can absolutely start this process now, and in fact, she should. The Advance Notice form is specifically designed to be submitted before age 18 to ensure a smooth transition. Three months before is the typical recommendation, but four months is fine too. The confusion you encountered is unfortunately common - some SSA reps mistakenly think certain actions can't be taken until the child turns 18, but that's incorrect for this specific form. The whole point of an "advance" notice is to get the paperwork moving before the birthday. Make sure you have: 1. The Advance Notice form completed by the school 2. A letter stating her intention to become her own payee at 18 3. Documentation of continued full-time school attendance Submit everything together, then follow up about 30 days before her birthday to ensure it's being processed.

just my 2 cents but be careful. when my daughter aged out last year, we started 3 months early like ur doing but the paperwork got lost twice!! ended up taking almost 6 months after her bday to get everything fixed. so def dont wait. the earlier u start the better

Have you asked for her backpayment record? My foster daughter went through something similar and when she finally got her money at 18, they tried to say she only had 3 months of backpay when it was actually 2 years worth. Get a complete statement of backpay entitlement BEFORE she turns 18! They kept telling us different amounts every time we called.

I had to help my younger sister through this exact process last year. Here's what worked for us: 1. Yes, 4 months ahead is perfectly fine - actually BETTER than waiting. Submit now. 2. Call SSA and specifically request a "protective filing date" for her application to become her own payee. This means even if processing is delayed, benefits will be paid from the date you filed. 3. Take a copy of EVERYTHING to your local SSA office if possible. I know appointments are hard to get, but try. We ultimately had to use an expedited critical need appointment. 4. Specifically request a complete benefits calculation statement showing all backpay owed. For situations like this where calls are difficult, I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an agent. There's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - they basically help you skip the wait time. This saved us weeks of trying to get through on the phone.

PLEASE DON'T WAIT!!! The system is SO BACKED UP right now!! My nephew just went through this and even though we started 3 months early, it still took 2 extra months after his 18th birthday to get any money. You're smart to start now. And make COPIES OF EVERYTHING!!! They lost our paperwork TWICE. And every person tells you something different. It's maddening.

There's some confusion about timing in this thread that needs clarification. According to SSA's Operations Manual (POMS section RS 00203.035), the Advance Notice process should ideally start 3 months before a child turns 18, but can be initiated up to 6 months prior. So 4 months is actually perfect timing. The most common breakdown in this process occurs when: 1. The form gets submitted but isn't properly associated with the child's record 2. The school certification portion isn't completed correctly 3. The transition to self-payee status isn't clearly documented I recommend submitting everything via certified mail with return receipt to create a paper trail. Also, request a written receipt for any documents submitted in person. For the back benefits: technically, if DHS was the payee and didn't claim all benefits owed, they may have liability here. However, it's far easier to address this at age 18 when she becomes her own payee. At that time, she should immediately request a complete benefits statement and file for any missing payments.

i don't get why the foster system is so bad at this stuff. my cousin lost like $10k in backpay bcuz her foster agency never filed for it and nobody told her she could til she was like 22. make sure ur kid knows exactly how much she is owed don't trust anyone else to track it also they can totally do this stuff now not sure why they said to wait til 18 that makes no sense

One more critical point: When she turns 18, she should immediately file Form SSA-11 (Request to Be Selected as Payee) for herself, along with Form SSA-795 (Statement of Claimant) explaining why she should be her own payee. Include documentation of her ability to manage funds (bank account, etc.) Since she'll legally be an adult at that point, there shouldn't be any issue with her becoming her own payee, but it does require formal application. If you wait until she turns 18 to start this process, it could delay access to her benefits by months. Also, regarding the school certification - make sure they certify enrollment through her expected graduation date. If they only certify current enrollment, you'll hit another hurdle later.

Let me add a bit more detail based on our experience: 1. You'll need Form SSA-1372 (Student's Statement Regarding School Attendance) - this is the form that allows benefits to continue past 18 until 19 and 2 months while in school 2. Get a benefits verification letter ASAP showing what her payment amount should be - this will be crucial when she starts receiving payments to ensure the amount is correct 3. If she has significant back benefits, these might be paid in installments rather than a lump sum. SSA often releases large backpay amounts in up to 3 installments 6 months apart. Be prepared for this possibility. Also, one practical tip - when my sister finally became her own payee, we immediately set up direct deposit for her benefits. This eliminated a lot of potential issues with mailed checks.

Regarding your latest question about lump sum vs. installments: Typically, if back benefits exceed 3 times the monthly benefit amount, SSA will pay in installments. However, there are exceptions for immediate needs. Once she's 18 and her own payee, she can submit Form SSA-5002 (Report of Contact) explaining why she needs the full amount immediately (housing security, transportation for school/work, essential items after leaving foster care, etc.). Include supporting documentation if possible. Some offices are more flexible than others, but a well-documented immediate need can often result in a full payment, especially for someone transitioning out of foster care who needs to establish independent living.

I went through this exact situation with my foster son two years ago, and I want to emphasize how important it is that you're starting this process NOW. Four months ahead is absolutely the right timing - don't let anyone tell you it's too early. Here's what I learned the hard way: 1. Submit everything via certified mail AND take copies to your local office if possible. We had documents "disappear" twice before finally getting through. 2. Create a timeline checklist with dates for follow-up calls. Call every 2-3 weeks to check status - don't assume no news is good news. 3. When she becomes her own payee, have her immediately request a "benefit computation statement" that shows her complete payment history. We discovered $8,000 in missing back benefits that way. 4. Document EVERYTHING - every phone call, every person you speak with, reference numbers, dates. This saved us when we had to escalate. The most important thing: once she's 18 and becomes her own payee, she has the right to access ALL her benefit information directly. No more going through unresponsive agencies. She can call, visit offices, and manage everything herself. You're doing great advocating for her. The system is frustrating but persistence pays off!

I work with youth aging out of foster care and want to add a few critical points that haven't been mentioned yet: 1. **State-specific timing matters** - Some states have additional requirements for survivor benefits continuation. Make sure you're following both federal SSA rules AND your state's specific procedures. 2. **School enrollment verification** - The school needs to certify she'll be enrolled full-time through her expected graduation date, not just current enrollment. Get this in writing with specific dates. 3. **Representative payee termination** - When she becomes her own payee, the current payee (child services) should file Form SSA-1696 to formally terminate their payee status. Don't assume this happens automatically. 4. **Emergency contact designation** - Once she's her own payee, she should immediately designate an emergency contact on her SSA account. This prevents delays if there are ever issues accessing her account. 5. **Benefits counseling** - Many states offer free benefits counseling specifically for youth aging out of foster care. This can help navigate the transition and ensure she doesn't lose any entitlements. The fact that you're starting this process now puts her in a much better position than most foster youth. Keep pushing forward - the system is designed to be confusing, but persistence pays off.

I'm new to this community but going through a very similar situation with my foster son who turns 18 in May. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly eye-opening - I had no idea about half of these forms and procedures! A few things I've learned from our local SSA office that might help: 1. **Double-check the school form details** - Our school initially filled out the wrong sections on the student attendance form. Make sure they're certifying CONTINUED enrollment through graduation, not just current status. 2. **Get a case worker name and direct number** - I finally got through to someone who gave me their direct extension. This has saved hours of hold time for follow-up questions. 3. **Screenshot/photo everything** - I've been taking pictures of every document before submitting. When they "lost" our first submission, having photos helped prove what we'd already sent. The inconsistent information from different SSA agents is so frustrating! It sounds like you're doing everything right by starting early. I'm bookmarking this thread because the advice here is better than anything I've gotten from three different SSA offices. One question for the group - has anyone dealt with survivor benefits when the child also has a special needs trust? We're trying to figure out if that complicates the payee transition process.

I'm a newcomer here but this thread has been incredibly helpful as I'm navigating a similar situation with my foster daughter who turns 18 in June. The amount of detailed, practical advice here is amazing - so much better than the contradictory information I've been getting from SSA directly. One thing I want to add from my recent experience: when you call SSA, ask specifically to speak with someone in the "Disabled Adult Child" unit if your foster daughter's survivor benefits are based on disability. Regular customer service reps often don't understand the nuances of survivor benefits continuing past 18 for full-time students. Also, I discovered that our state has a "Foster Youth Benefits Navigator" program through the Department of Human Services that provides free one-on-one help with SSA transitions. It might be worth checking if your state has something similar - they've been invaluable in helping us understand the process and avoid common pitfalls. Keep advocating for her! The fact that she has you fighting for her puts her so far ahead of kids who have to navigate this system alone. Starting at 4 months early was absolutely the right call.

As someone who recently helped my foster nephew through this exact process, I can confirm you're absolutely doing the right thing by starting 4 months early. The "too early" response you got from that SSA agent is unfortunately typical - many reps don't understand the advance notice process. Here's what worked for us: **Immediate action items:** - Submit the Advance Notice form NOW along with school certification - Request a protective filing date (as mentioned by CyberSamurai) - Get copies of everything certified and keep detailed records **Critical timing note:** The biggest mistake we made was not requesting her complete benefits history early enough. When she finally became her own payee, we discovered discrepancies that took months to resolve. Start that process simultaneously with the advance notice. **One thing I haven't seen mentioned:** If your foster daughter has been receiving any other state benefits (SNAP, Medicaid, etc.), her increased survivor benefit income at 18 could affect those programs. Make sure to factor this into her transition planning. The system is absolutely backlogged right now, so your instinct to start early is spot-on. Don't let anyone discourage you from being proactive - better to have everything ready months in advance than to deal with benefit gaps when she turns 18.

As a newcomer to this community, I'm incredibly grateful to have found this thread! My foster son turns 18 in July and I've been getting so much conflicting information from SSA that I was starting to panic. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been more helpful than months of trying to navigate this system on my own. A few things I wanted to add from our recent experience: **Documentation is EVERYTHING** - I started keeping a detailed log after our first SSA call where they told us three different things in one conversation. Now I record the date, time, representative name/ID, and exactly what they told us. This has already saved us twice when follow-up calls contradicted previous advice. **Local office vs phone** - We've had much better luck with our local SSA office than the national phone line. Yes, appointments are hard to get, but the in-person staff seem to have better training on foster care transitions. They also gave us printed copies of relevant forms instead of us having to hunt them down online. **School coordination** - Make sure your foster daughter's school counselor understands this isn't just a standard transcript request. We had to educate our school about the specific SSA requirements for continued benefits. They initially wanted to just provide a basic enrollment letter, which wouldn't have been sufficient. Starting 4 months early was absolutely the right call. The horror stories about delays and lost paperwork in this thread are unfortunately very real, but being proactive gives you the best chance of avoiding those pitfalls. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is invaluable for those of us trying to help these kids navigate such a complex system!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm finding this discussion incredibly valuable! My foster daughter is in a very similar situation - she'll be turning 18 in a few months and we're dealing with the same confusing and contradictory information from SSA representatives. What strikes me most about this thread is how consistent everyone's experience has been with the system being backlogged and representatives giving different answers. It's both frustrating and reassuring to know we're not alone in this struggle. I wanted to ask about something I haven't seen mentioned yet - has anyone dealt with complications when the foster child's birth state is different from where they currently live? We're in California now, but she was born in Texas, and I'm wondering if that adds any additional complexity to the survivor benefits transition process. Also, for those who successfully got through this process - approximately how long did it take from submitting the advance notice paperwork to actually seeing the benefits start flowing to the new payee after they turned 18? I'm trying to set realistic expectations for my foster daughter about potential delays. Thank you to everyone who has shared their experiences here. The detailed, practical advice is so much more helpful than anything we've received from official channels. It's clear that starting early and being persistent is absolutely the right approach, despite what some SSA representatives might suggest.