Will starting SS survivor benefits affect my disabled son's benefits? Confused about coordinating our claims
I've been putting off my own Social Security decision to figure out how it affects my disabled son (29). He currently receives SSDI survivor benefits from his father who passed away 7 years ago. I'm turning 66 next month and considering taking reduced survivor benefits from my late husband now, while letting my own retirement benefit grow until 70. What I can't figure out: Will my son's $1,875 monthly survivor payment change if I start collecting? His father died at 51 (was earning about $78,000) and obviously wasn't collecting SS yet. Does my son stay on his father's record permanently or would he switch to mine once I start benefits? The SSA website is so confusing on this! I tried calling our local office twice but got disconnected both times after waiting over an hour. Has anyone navigated this specific situation with disabled adult children and survivor coordination?
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Jade O'Malley
Your son's benefits shouldn't change when you start collecting survivor benefits. Adult disabled children can receive benefits from either parent's record (usually whichever provides higher benefits), but since your late husband likely had a stronger earnings record than yours, your son would continue receiving benefits on his father's record. When you switch to your own retirement benefits at 70, there should still be no effect on your son's payments, as he's already established on his father's record. The system treats these as separate entitlements. One thing to double-check: make sure your son's disability onset was established before age 22 in the SSA system. This is what qualifies him as a disabled adult child for benefit purposes.
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Caleb Stark
•Thank you so much for this clear explanation! Yes, his disability was established when he was 18, so that part is covered. I'm relieved to hear his benefits should remain stable. Do you know if I need to notify SSA when I make the switch from survivor benefits to my own at 70, or will that be automatic?
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Hunter Edmunds
Just to add to this, I actually was in a similiar situation last year. My adult daughter (disabled) was getting survivor benefits from her dad and I started my retirement. Nothing happened to her benefits, stayed exactly the same amount. So your probably ok but I would check with SSA to make sure.
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Caleb Stark
•That's really reassuring to hear from someone who's been through it! Did you have any issues when you made the switch? I'm worried about any paperwork mistakes disrupting his payments.
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Ella Lewis
MAKE SURE you ask specifically about the family maximum when you talk to them!!! When I started benefits it affected my disabled son's amount because of the family maximum limit. They NEVER mentioned this to me beforehand and we had to scramble when his payment suddenly dropped by $320. Don't trust what anyone tells you until you get it in writing!!!
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Jade O'Malley
•That's a good point about the family maximum, but it typically only applies when multiple people are drawing from the same record. Since the son is drawing from the deceased father's record, and the mother would be drawing survivor benefits from that same record initially (before switching to her own), they would be subject to the family maximum. However, when she switches to her own record at 70, they would be drawing from different records, so the family maximum wouldn't apply in the same way.
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Andrew Pinnock
I've helped several clients through this exact situation. Here's what you need to know: 1. Your son's benefits as a Disabled Adult Child (DAC) on his father's record will continue unchanged when you take survivor benefits. 2. The family maximum does apply when both you and your son receive benefits on your husband's record, but since there are only two of you, it's unlikely to reduce benefits unless your husband's PIA was relatively low. 3. When you switch to your own retirement benefits at 70, your son will remain on his father's record if that provides higher benefits (which is likely). 4. There is NO automatic switching - you must apply for your retirement benefits when you turn 70. The survivor benefits don't automatically convert. 5. Make sure SSA has properly coded your son with the "disabled before 22" designation in their system.
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Caleb Stark
•Thank you so much for the detailed explanation! Point #4 is especially important - I mistakenly thought the switch would happen automatically at 70. I'll make sure to apply for my retirement benefits when the time comes. And I'll double-check about the family maximum - my husband was making around $78,000 when he passed, if that helps determine whether we'd hit the maximum.
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Brianna Schmidt
I wasted WEEKS trying to get answers about my disabled daughter's benefits. Calling SSA is impossible - busy signals, disconnects, or being on hold for hours. I finally found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual SSA agent in under 20 minutes! They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU It was so much easier than the constant frustration of calling myself. The agent I spoke with answered all my coordination questions and even scheduled me an in-person appointment to finalize everything. Totally worth it for peace of mind.
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Alexis Renard
•does this really work? ive been trying to get thru to ssa for 3 days about my sons benefits
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Camila Jordan
I think ur overthinking this. Benefits r separate. Your son gets his money and you get yours. My cousin has a disabled kid and it worked fine when she retired. But call SSA to make sure.
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Ella Lewis
•It's NOT that simple! Family maximum can affect multiple beneficiaries on the same record, and switching between benefits can cause all kinds of problems. My son's benefits were messed up for 3 months when I started my retirement. The SSA makes mistakes ALL THE TIME!
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Andrew Pinnock
One additional point that hasn't been mentioned: make sure your son is receiving SSDI as a Disabled Adult Child (DAC) and not SSI. They're completely different programs with different rules. If he's receiving DAC benefits as a survivor, those continue even after you start benefits. If he's on SSI (needs-based), your household income could potentially affect his eligibility.
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Caleb Stark
•He's definitely on SSDI as a DAC, not SSI. His benefit statement specifically mentions it's based on his father's work record. Thanks for bringing this up though - I can see how that confusion would complicate things!
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Hunter Edmunds
One thing to consider - when you take your retirement at 70, if your benefit amount would be higher than what your son gets from his dad's record, he might be eligible to switch to your record. My neighbor's disabled daughter got a $230 raise when she switched to her mom's record after mom retired with a higher benefit amount. Might be worth asking SSA about!
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Andrew Pinnock
•This is correct. An adult disabled child can receive benefits based on either parent's record, whichever provides the higher benefit. However, they can only receive one benefit - they don't get both. If the mother's retirement benefit at 70 results in a higher auxiliary benefit for the son than what he currently receives on his father's record, SSA should automatically process that adjustment, but it's always good to follow up and confirm.
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Caleb Stark
Thank you everyone for all the helpful responses! I've learned so much: 1. My son's benefits should continue unchanged on his father's record 2. Need to double-check about the family maximum limit 3. Must remember to apply for my own benefits at 70 (not automatic) 4. Will try Claimyr to actually reach someone at SSA 5. Should compare benefit amounts when I turn 70 to see if my record would give him more I feel much more prepared now to make these decisions. I'll update this thread once I talk to SSA if I learn anything else that might help others!
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