Will my disabled adult child get 50% of my SSDI amount or retirement PIA when I reach FRA?

Your son's DAC benefits will continue to be calculated based on your PIA (Primary Insurance Amount), which is the same amount used to calculate your SSDI. When you convert from disability to retirement at FRA, your payment amount doesn't change - it's the same PIA amount - and neither will your son's DAC benefit. He'll continue to receive 50% of your PIA as long as he remains eligible. I went through this exact transition last year, and while I was worried about potential changes, my disabled daughter's benefit remained exactly the same after I switched from SSDI to retirement.

The previous commenter is generally correct, but I want to clarify something important. Your disabled son's benefit will be 50% of your PIA (Primary Insurance Amount). Here's what happens: When you reach FRA, your SSDI automatically converts to retirement benefits, but the amount stays exactly the same (your PIA). Your son will continue to receive 50% of that amount as a DAC. The confusion might be because sometimes people conflate PIA with the actual benefit amount. But since you're taking retirement at exactly FRA (not early or delayed), your retirement benefit will equal your PIA, which is currently the basis for your SSDI. So in your specific case, there should be no change to either of your benefit amounts at the transition.

The whole system is DESIGNED TO CONFUSE US!! I spent 8 months trying to get straight answers about my disabled daughter's benefits when I switched from SSDI to retirement. Every rep told me something different! One said benefits would increase, another said decrease, third said stay the same. When I finally got through to someone who knew what they were talking about, they explained the calculation depends on several factors including whether you worked while receiving SSDI and whether those earnings affected your PIA. The SSA's computer systems don't even talk to each other properly which is why you get different answers depending on who you talk to!!!!

I had the hardest time getting through to someone at Social Security who could help me with almost the same question last year. After waiting on hold for hours multiple times and getting disconnected, I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to reach an agent on my first try. They got me connected to a Technical Expert who specializes in DAC benefits who explained everything clearly. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Totally worth it to get answers from someone who actually knows the rules instead of basic call center staff.

hi there. my autistic son also gets DAC benefits. we went thru this last year when i turned 67. what happened was my benefit stayed EXACTLY the same when i switched from disability to retirement (they just call it something different). my sons benefit also stayed exactly the same amount which was a relief. the ssa lady told me that's because the PIA doesnt change. i was worried too because we depend on both checks to pay bills.

To address the work question that's come up: If you worked while receiving SSDI and stayed under the SGA limits, those earnings may potentially increase your PIA through recalculations. If your PIA increases due to these additional earnings, your son's DAC benefit could increase proportionally (still 50% of your new PIA). However, these recalculations don't happen automatically at FRA - they typically occur annually when SSA processes all earnings records. When you meet with your local office, ask specifically about an "AERO" recalculation (Automatic Earnings Reappraisal Operation). That's the process SSA uses to check if recent earnings would increase your benefit. Make sure to bring documentation of all work and earnings while on SSDI.

I just remembered something important for your situation. When your SSDI converts to retirement at FRA, make sure you check that your son remains properly coded as a DAC (Disabled Adult Child) beneficiary and not accidentally recoded as a regular child beneficiary. This happened to a friend, and it caused problems because regular child benefits end at age 18 (or 19 if still in high school). The payment amounts are the same (50% of your PIA), but the eligibility rules are different. Just something to watch for during the transition.

Wait I'm confused... isn't the PIA for retirement different than for SSDI? My brother said his retirement PIA was calculated differently. That's why I'm worried about my son's benefits changing when I hit retirement age next year. Does anyone know if they use the same formula?

Thanks everyone for all the helpful information! To summarize what I've learned: 1) My son's DAC benefit should stay at 50% of my PIA when I transition to retirement at FRA, 2) My PIA shouldn't change at transition, but might be recalculated through AERO if my part-time work increased my average earnings, 3) I need to verify my son remains coded as DAC during the transition, and 4) I should bring all my earnings documentation to my appointment. This has been so much more helpful than my calls to SSA! I'll update after my appointment next month to let everyone know what I find out.

I'm dealing with almost the exact same situation! My 35-year-old daughter has been getting DAC benefits since she was 25 due to intellectual disabilities, and I'm currently on SSDI planning for my FRA transition in 2026. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - especially the point about making sure she stays coded as DAC and not accidentally switched to regular child benefits. I had no idea that could happen! I'm also concerned about the AERO recalculation since I did some consulting work while on SSDI (staying under SGA limits). Did anyone here actually see their DAC dependent's benefits increase due to the earnings recalculation, or does it usually not make much difference? I'm hoping for the best but trying to prepare for any changes to our monthly budget.

As someone who works in disability advocacy, I want to add a few practical tips for your appointment next month. First, ask for a written summary of everything they tell you - SSA reps are supposed to provide this if requested. Second, if you get conflicting information again, ask to speak with a Claims Specialist or Technical Expert rather than a general service rep. Third, consider bringing a witness or advocate with you to help take notes and ask follow-up questions. The DAC to retirement transition should be straightforward, but having documentation protects both you and your son if any issues arise later. Also, make sure to get your son's current benefit verification letter before the transition so you have a baseline to compare against. The community here has given you excellent advice - the key points about PIA staying the same, AERO recalculations, and maintaining proper DAC coding are all spot-on. Best of luck with getting clear answers finally!

I'm new to this community but wanted to share my recent experience since it might help. My husband went through this exact transition from SSDI to retirement at FRA last year, and our disabled son's DAC benefits stayed exactly the same - no changes at all. The whole process was actually much smoother than we expected after reading horror stories online. One thing I'd recommend based on our experience: when you go to your appointment, ask them to pull up both your record and your son's record on their screen at the same time. This way they can see the current coding and benefit amounts for both of you while you're sitting there. We did this and it helped the rep explain exactly what would happen during the transition. Also, don't be afraid to ask them to write down the key points as they explain them - we found that having the rep write it down (not just us taking notes) made them more careful about giving accurate information. Good luck with your appointment next month! The transition should be straightforward, but it's smart that you're preparing with all the right questions.

Hi Sean! I'm new to this community but wanted to share what I learned from my own recent experience navigating SSA with my disabled daughter. Reading through all the responses here, I think you've gotten excellent advice - especially about the PIA staying the same and asking for written documentation. One additional tip that helped me: when you go to your appointment, ask them to show you the exact benefit calculation on their computer screen. SSA reps can pull up a screen that shows your current PIA, your son's current DAC benefit rate, and how it's calculated. Having them walk through the actual numbers while you're sitting there eliminates any guesswork about what will happen during the transition. Also, I'd suggest calling ahead a day or two before your appointment to confirm they have all your son's current disability documentation on file. Sometimes there are delays in their system updates, and you don't want to get to the appointment only to find out they need additional paperwork. The fact that you've done part-time work while on SSDI actually puts you in a good position - if those earnings were significant enough to raise your PIA through AERO recalculation, both you and your son could potentially see a small increase rather than any decrease. Best of luck with getting clear answers finally!

Hi Sean! I'm new to this community but have been dealing with a similar situation. My disabled brother receives DAC benefits based on my father's record, and we went through this exact transition two years ago when my dad hit FRA. I wanted to add one thing that hasn't been mentioned yet - make sure to ask about the Family Maximum benefit limit at your appointment. In most cases, DAC benefits aren't affected by the family max, but it's worth confirming since you mentioned the dollar amount difference is significant to your budget. Also, I'd recommend bringing a copy of your son's original disability determination letter to the appointment. We found that having this documentation helped speed up the process and prevented any questions about his continued eligibility. The SSA rep was able to verify his DAC status immediately rather than having to look it up in their system. One more tip from our experience: if they mention anything about a "redetermination" of your son's disability status, don't panic. This is routine and separate from the benefit amount calculation. His DAC benefits should continue as long as his disability status remains unchanged. Good luck with your appointment - sounds like you're well prepared with all the great advice from this community!

Hi Sean! I'm new to this community but wanted to share some encouragement based on what I've learned from everyone's responses here. It sounds like you've gotten incredibly thorough advice from the experienced members - much better than the conflicting information from SSA! I'm in a similar situation with my disabled adult son and have been dreading the transition from SSDI to retirement benefits next year. Reading through all these experiences has been really reassuring, especially hearing from multiple people that their DAC benefits stayed exactly the same during the transition. The checklist you created in your summary comment is perfect - I'm actually going to save it for my own future reference! I particularly appreciate the tips about asking for written documentation, requesting a Claims Specialist, and bringing the original disability determination letter. These are things I never would have thought of but make so much sense. One thing I'm wondering about from my own research: have you looked into whether your state has any disability advocacy organizations that could send someone with you to the appointment? Some states offer free advocates who specialize in SSA issues and can help ensure you get accurate information. It might be worth checking if that's available in your area. Thanks for posting this question - the community's responses have been invaluable for those of us facing similar transitions!