Will my daughter's Social Security survivor benefits increase when I lose mine at her age 16?

I went through something similar with my son last year. Unfortunately, your daughter won't automatically get your portion of the benefits when you lose eligibility. Each survivor receives their own calculated amount based on the deceased's earnings record, and when one beneficiary becomes ineligible, that portion simply stops - it doesn't transfer to other beneficiaries.Your daughter will continue to receive her current survivor benefit amount until she turns 18 (or 19 if still in high school). The DAC benefits would continue beyond that if approved, but that's a separate determination process from what you've already started.Since your daughter has autism and cognitive delays, I strongly recommend continuing to pursue the DAC claim. Make sure you're providing comprehensive documentation from all specialists showing how her condition limits functioning. SSA often denies initial applications, so be prepared to appeal.

Thank you so much for explaining this. I was really hoping her amount would increase! This is going to be a huge financial hit for us. Do you know if I should be working with a specific department at SSA for the DAC claim? I feel like I keep getting different answers every time I call.

the ssa stuff is confusing!!!! i had similar situation with my nephew but diferent because it was SSDI not survivors. they told us one thing then did another thing completely! have u tried going to the actual office? sometimes the phone people dont know what there talking about honestly

I've tried going to the office twice but the wait times were 3+ hours both times and I couldn't stay that long because of my daughter's therapy appointments. It's so frustrating! I feel like I'm getting nowhere with them.

To directly answer your question: No, your daughter won't automatically get your portion when you lose eligibility at her age 16. The family maximum benefit rules limit the total amount payable on one worker's record, but each eligible person receives their own calculated portion.For planning purposes:1. Your daughter will continue receiving her current amount (approximately $1,375/month) until she turns 18 (or 19 if still in high school)2. The DAC benefits could continue beyond age 18/19 if approved, but that requires meeting the adult disability criteria3. Since she was previously approved for SSI, you should keep detailed documentation of her disabilities for the adult disability application at 18Regarding the SSI that was discontinued - if her survivor benefits decrease significantly in the future, you might be able to reestablish SSI eligibility depending on the total household income and resources at that time. Worth checking into once your situation changes.

This is exactly right! I work with families in similar situations. One thing I'd add is that when she turns 18, you'll need to apply for adult disability benefits separately - it's not automatic even with a childhood disability determination. And yes, reapplying for SSI might be possible if her total income is below the threshold.

We went through similar with my grandson!!!!! SO FRUSTRATED with the whole system. They make it IMPOSSIBLE to get straight answers!!!! When my daughter passed the payments were all messed up for months. Sending you strength mama!!!!

Thank you ❤️ It helps knowing I'm not alone in this confusion. I'm sorry you had to deal with it too.

Try using Claimyr to get through to an actual SSA agent without the endless hold times. I was dealing with a similar survivor benefits issue and spent 3 weeks trying to reach someone. With Claimyr (claimyr.com), I got through to SSA in about 20 minutes instead of waiting for hours or getting disconnected. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puURegarding your question, I confirmed with the SSA agent that survivor benefits don't transfer between beneficiaries. Each eligible person receives their own calculated amount, and if you become ineligible, that portion simply stops being paid out. Definitely focus on documenting your daughter's disability thoroughly for both the current DAC application and the adult disability application you'll need to file when she turns 18.

does this claimyr thing actually work? i keep getting disconnected too every time i try calling about my husband's benefits

It worked for me. I was skeptical at first but was desperate after trying for weeks. Got through to a real person who could actually help with my survivor benefits question.

my sister got DAC benifits for my niece who has down syndrome. they denied her 2 times before approving!!! dont give up keep appealing. the trick is getting detail reports from ALL doctors showing exactly what she cant do not just diagnosis

This is so helpful - thank you! I think I need to get more specific functional assessments from her therapists, not just her diagnostic reports. Going to call them all tomorrow.

Regarding your daughter's disability case, make sure you're submitting evidence that specifically addresses the childhood disability criteria. For children, SSA evaluates whether they have a medically determinable impairment that results in

Thank you for this detailed guidance! We have her IEP and neuropsych eval from last year, but I haven't submitted the therapy progress reports. She gets speech, OT and behavioral therapy weekly, so those should help document her limitations better. Should I just send these additional documents to the local office or is there a specific process?

You should submit them directly to the Disability Determination Services (DDS) office handling her claim. Call the number on the most recent correspondence you received and ask for the direct contact information for her disability examiner. That person can tell you exactly how to submit additional evidence for her pending claim.

To address a point no one has mentioned yet: When you start working, be aware that your earnings won't affect your daughter's survivor benefits. Her eligibility and benefit amount are based solely on her deceased father's earnings record and her continued eligibility (age/disability status). Your new income won't reduce her survivor payments.However, if you reapply for SSI for her in the future, then your income would be relevant because SSI is needs-based and considers household income and resources.

Oh that's a huge relief! I was worried my new job might affect her benefits. Thank you for clarifying this.

my cousin gets survivors for her kids and she said sometimes they can get more when theres fewer people receiving from same record but its complicated. something about family maximum calculation??

Your cousin is partly right, but it's more nuanced. There is a Family Maximum Benefit (FMB) that caps the total amount payable on one worker's record. However, when one beneficiary becomes ineligible, the remaining beneficiaries don't automatically get that portion. Instead, their benefits are recalculated based on the new family composition, which might sometimes result in a slight increase, but never the full amount of what the ineligible person was receiving. In most survivor situations though, each person is already receiving their maximum individual entitlement, so there's often no change when one beneficiary becomes ineligible.