Will my stepchild's Social Security DAC benefits change when I claim my retirement?

No, your stepchild's DAC benefits will NOT switch to your record when you claim your own retirement benefits. DAC benefits are permanently based on the parent's record that established eligibility (in this case, your deceased husband). These are two completely separate entitlements. Your stepchild will continue receiving DAC survivor benefits based on your husband's work record regardless of when you file for your own retirement. The only thing that would affect their benefits would be if they started working above SGA (substantial gainful activity) levels or got married (in most cases). Hope this helps ease your mind!

I agree with the previous response. Your stepchild's DAC benefits are based on your deceased husband's record and will remain that way. However, I'd suggest you look into whether you might be eligible for widow's benefits now, before your own retirement. Since you're over 60, you could potentially claim widow's benefits while letting your own retirement benefit grow until your FRA or even age 70 for maximum amount.

when my sis claimed her retiremnt they didnt change her disabled sons benefits at all. he still gets the same amount from my BIL's record even tho hes been gone 12 years now

The SYSTEM is designed to CONFUSE us!!! I spent 3 WEEKS trying to get a straight answer from SS about my disabled daughter's benefits when I retired. Every person told me something different! Finally got someone who actually knew the rules. You have to keep calling until you get someone competent, which feels IMPOSSIBLE these days.

I had this exact concern when I was approaching retirement age. My stepson receives DAC benefits from his late father (my husband). When I contacted Social Security, I discovered they will always pay the higher amount between the two potential benefits, but they don't automatically switch. In practice, the deceased parent's benefit is almost always higher since DAC benefits are 75% of the deceased worker's benefit amount. One thing to be aware of though - if your stepchild ever works above SGA limits ($1,550/month in 2025 for non-blind individuals), that could jeopardize their DAC benefits regardless of which record it's based on. The rules are complex but that threshold is critical for maintaining eligibility.

Have you tried using Claimyr to get through to someone at Social Security? It saved me hours of frustration when I needed answers about my daughter's DAC benefits. Their system connects you with an SSA representative without the endless hold times. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU that shows exactly how it works. I was able to get clear answers about my complicated benefit questions in one call instead of multiple attempts. Given your situation with multiple benefit types involved, speaking directly with SSA might give you the most accurate information.

my neighbor's kid gets DAC and when she turned 63 and took early retirement nothing changed with her son's payment. dont worry about it!

i think u should wait till 70 to get UR retirment anyway... bigger checks!!!!

When I claimed my SS at 66, my disabled son's benefits stayed exactly the same. They're completely separate. But I got really confused because there's DAC benefits and then there's also SSI which has different rules entirely and I kept mixing them up when talking to the representatives. Make sure you're clear about which benefit type your stepchild receives when you speak with them. The terminology gets so confusing sometimes!