Will my husband taking Social Security at 62 reduce my disabled son's future benefits?

i went through something similar but its with my daughter not son. the benefits for disabled children dont really start til 18 but theres a whole process you gotta go thru first for them to even qualify. you should get the ball rolling NOW because it takes forever!!! my ex took ss at 62 and yes it affected how much my kid got. lower parent benefit = lower kid benefit.

Your question touches on several complex Social Security rules. Let me clarify: 1. Yes, if your husband takes reduced retirement benefits at 62, this will impact what your son can receive as a disabled adult child (DAC). The child's benefit is calculated as a percentage of the parent's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), and when a parent takes early retirement, this doesn't reduce the PIA itself, but does limit the total Family Maximum Benefit. 2. For a disabled child to receive benefits on a parent's record, they must have a disability that began before age 22, and they must meet SSA's adult disability criteria. The benefit eligibility isn't specifically tied to ages 18 or 21, but rather to when the parent begins collecting retirement or becomes disabled/deceased. 3. The application process should begin about 4-6 months before you want benefits to start. Documentation of the disability history will be crucial. I recommend scheduling an appointment with SSA to discuss your specific family situation, as the family maximum calculation can get complicated.

Getting through to SSA to ask these specific questions can be super frustrating. I spent WEEKS trying to get answers for my sister's situation. After getting disconnected 5 times, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual SSA agent in under 20 minutes instead of waiting for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Once I got through, the agent confirmed that when a parent takes reduced benefits, it CAN affect the disabled adult child's payment through the family maximum calculation. Each family's situation is unique though, so you really need to speak with SSA directly about your specific circumstances.

The answer is YES it will affect benefits and NO it might not matter much depending on your specifics!!! When your husband files early his own benefit is reduced BUT your sons disabled adult child benefit is based on your husband's PIA (primary insurance amount) which doesn't change based on when he files!!! HOWEVER the family maximum does get affected by early filing so there's a COMPLICATED calculation!!! Your son would qualify at 18 as a disabled adult child if he meets strict disability requirements!!! Has he applied for SSI yet??? That's usually step 1!!!

Something important no one's mentioned: make sure your son has documentation of his disability from before he turns 22. My brother's case was delayed because we didn't have enough medical records showing his disability started in childhood. Keep ALL medical records, school IEPs, psychological evaluations, etc. The more documentation, the smoother the process. Also, if your son hasn't applied for SSI yet, consider doing that even if you think your income is too high. The SSI application process can establish the disability determination, which can help when applying later for benefits on your husband's record.

my sister takes care her disabled son and had SAME question last year. SSA told her that if her ex took benefits early it meant less money for her son. they have this thing called "family maximum" and early retirement shrinks the total pot!! but every case different cause it depends on the earnings record.

also forgot to say - start the disability application process NOW even tho hes only 17. my daughter got denied twice before getting approved and the whole thing took almost 2 years!!!

Let me clarify a few points based on my experience as a disability advocate: 1. Your son's eligibility for Disabled Adult Child (DAC) benefits requires that his disability began before age 22, but benefits don't automatically start at any specific age. They can begin when the parent (your husband) starts receiving retirement benefits, becomes disabled, or passes away. 2. The amount your son can receive as a DAC is up to 50% of your husband's full retirement benefit (his PIA), regardless of when your husband claims. However, the Family Maximum Benefit (FMB) does come into play, especially with early retirement. 3. If your husband claims at 62, his personal benefit is reduced permanently (about 30% less than waiting until full retirement age). While this doesn't directly reduce your son's potential 50% of PIA, it does affect how the FMB calculations work. 4. Start the SSI application process for your son before he turns 18. Even if he doesn't qualify for SSI due to family income, this establishes his disability determination, which will be vital for future DAC benefits. The DAC benefit is valuable because it comes with Medicare after 24 months, regardless of your son's age, which is a significant advantage over many other options.

Just wanted to update that I called SSA this morning using that Claimyr service I mentioned, and I asked them specifically about this situation for my own planning. The agent confirmed that when a parent takes reduced retirement benefits, it doesn't directly reduce the disabled adult child's benefit percentage (still 50% of PIA), but it can affect how the family maximum is applied, which might result in slightly lower payments. The agent recommended scheduling an in-person appointment to get specific calculations for your situation.

I'm dealing with a similar situation and wanted to share what I've learned from my research and speaking with SSA representatives. The key thing to understand is that there are really two separate calculations happening here: 1. Your son's DAC benefit amount (50% of your husband's PIA - this doesn't change based on when your husband files) 2. The Family Maximum Benefit limits that could reduce everyone's payments From what I've gathered, if your husband is the only one receiving benefits on his record initially, the family maximum won't be an issue. But once your son starts receiving DAC benefits, the combined payments might hit that ceiling, especially if your husband took reduced benefits early. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet - consider whether your earnings record might provide better benefits for your son than your husband's. DAC benefits can be claimed on either parent's record, so it's worth having SSA calculate both scenarios. Also, regarding timing - your son can potentially start receiving DAC benefits as soon as your husband begins receiving retirement benefits, assuming he meets the disability requirements and has the proper documentation. The age 18/22 confusion often comes from mixing up DAC benefits with student benefits or other programs. Definitely start gathering all medical documentation now and consider that SSI application to establish the disability determination!

I'm a newcomer to this community but have been researching this exact situation for my own family. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful! One thing I want to emphasize that several people have touched on - the timing of starting the disability application process is critical. Even though your son is only 17, beginning the SSI application now can establish that crucial disability determination before he turns 18. This creates a paper trail that will be invaluable when applying for DAC benefits later. From what I've learned, the Social Security Administration requires extensive medical documentation proving the disability began before age 22. Having that SSI application in process (even if denied due to family income) creates an official record of the disability evaluation that can streamline future DAC applications. Also, I noticed someone mentioned considering both parents' earnings records for potential DAC benefits - this is huge! Many families don't realize they can choose which parent's record provides better benefits for their disabled adult child. Definitely have SSA run calculations for both scenarios. The complexity of how early retirement affects family maximum benefits seems to vary case by case, so getting those personalized calculations from SSA will be essential for your decision-making process. Good luck navigating this - it's overwhelming but you're asking all the right questions!