How to Qualify for Disabled Adult Child Benefits
Disabled adult child benefits are a part of the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program.
To qualify for SSDI benefits, you don’t just have to show that you have a health issue that will prevent you from working. You also need to show the Social Security Administration (SSA) that you have worked and paid into this system.
This requirement can be a problem if your condition has met Social Security’s definition of disability since before you turned 22 and you were never able to work for long.
You can apply for DAC benefits under your parent’s qualifying work record. If one of your parents worked and paid into Social Security and qualifies for some form of Social Security benefits, you could receive benefits even if you couldn’t qualify for SSDI on your own.
If that parent is receiving Social Security disability or retirement benefits, or they are deceased, you can qualify for disabled adult child benefits. Your parent’s benefits won’t be affected.
These payments are calculated based on your qualifying parent’s previous wages, just like SSDI benefits are calculated.
Social Security will formulate a primary insurance amount (PIA) based on those wages and award you a portion of them as DAC benefits each month.
This program pays you:
- 50% of your parent’s PIA if they are still alive
- 75% of your parent’s PIA if they are deceased
If you think you or a loved one may qualify for DAC benefits, it won’t cost you anything to talk to us about your situation.
What Do You Need to Apply for DAC Benefits?
Every disability claim requires evidence. Applications for DAC benefits are no different.
In addition to showing that you have a health condition that stops you from working, you need to make it clear your medical condition began before you reached age 22.
You’ll also need evidence of a parent’s qualifying Social Security record of paying into the system enough to make you eligible for benefits.
Items that can help you back up your DAC benefits claim include:
- Medical records stretching back to before age 22
- Information about treatments you’ve tried and their effects
- A list of prescription medications you take, their dosages, and their effects and side effects
- School records, IEPs, and developmental assessments that show the early onset of your condition
- Your doctor’s assessment of your everyday functioning
- Information about how your condition has progressed over time
- Your parent’s Social Security information
- Tax records for you and your parents
- Statements from friends and family members who have witnessed your health struggles
If you don’t have enough evidence of these qualifications, you’re likely to be denied disability benefits.
An Athens Social Security Disability lawyer can tell you more about what you’ll need to support your claim and answer any questions you have about this process.
How a Georgia Disability Lawyer Can Help You Win DAC Benefits
You can apply for disabled adult child benefits on your own, but we don’t recommend it because of how complicated Social Security makes the process.
Our experienced Georgia disability attorneys can guide you.
Your lawyer can:
- Identify important evidence that can strengthen your claim
- Help you fill out application forms and avoid common mistakes that lead to denials
- Keep you updated on the status of your claim
- Help you make the argument that your health issue makes it impossible to do any job
- Support your appeal if your initial application for DAC benefits gets denied
- Prepare you for your disability hearing so you know what kinds of questions the judge will ask about your health
- Represent you at your hearing in front of the administrative law judge (ALJ)
- Cross-examine expert witnesses testifying for the SSA at your hearing
- File your appeal with the Appeals Council or Federal District Court, if needed
From our office in Athens, the Silver & Archibald team has helped thousands of people in Atlanta, Augusta, Savannah, Union City and across the state win the benefits they needed for economic security and peace of mind.
Don’t try to navigate the application process on your own. Let our Georgia disability attorneys help you.
Frequently Asked Questions About Disabled Adult Child Benefits
Applying for disabled adult child benefits is confusing, so you probably have questions. Our Athens disability attorneys can answer them.
Schedule a free case evaluation. Below, check out our answers to some of the commonly asked questions about DAC benefits.
Who can qualify for Disabled Adult Child (DAC) benefits?
Disabled adult child benefits are for people who cannot work due to a health condition, just like other disability benefits programs.
But when you apply for DAC benefits, you also need to show that your medical condition began before age 22, you haven’t done substantial work since before age 22, and your parent has a qualifying Social Security record.
DAC benefits allow people who wouldn’t normally be eligible for the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program to use their parent’s record of paying into Social Security to qualify for monthly payments and medical coverage.
How much can you receive in DAC benefits?
When you get approved for DAC benefits you’ll receive monthly payments based on your qualifying parent’s previous income.
Social Security has a formula for calculating your qualifying parent’s “primary insurance amount.” You’ll receive 50% of this PIA if they are alive and 75% of this amount if they are deceased.
Recipients of DAC benefits can also enroll in Medicare after a 24-month waiting period, just like other recipients of SSDI.
Will getting disabled adult child benefits affect my parent’s SSDI or retirement benefits?
One great thing about this program is that your DAC benefits won’t have an effect on your parent’s benefits.
Your parent’s Social Security records are used to qualify you for benefits and calculate your payments, but they still collect their entire retirement or disability benefits.
What kinds of health issues can qualify for DAC benefits?
All types of physical and mental health issues can qualify you for DAC benefits. Common qualifying conditions include autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, and severe anxiety or depression.
No matter what health issue you have, the key to a DAC benefits application is showing you can’t work, you developed your condition before age 22, and your parent paid a qualifying amount into Social Security.
What happens if someone receiving DAC benefits gets married?
Getting married can cause someone to lose their DAC benefits, but there is an exception to this rule. If two people who receive DAC benefits get married, both can keep their medical coverage and monthly payments.
If you have any questions about your eligibility for benefits, you should consult a Georgia disability lawyer from Silver & Archibald.
Get to Know Silver & Archibald Disability Attorneys
Legal cases involving your health struggles are highly personal matters. When you’re looking for help, you want someone who treats you with the personal care, respect, and dignity this moment requires.
Answers to Common Questions About Social Security Disability
Social Security Disability is a huge program with a vast set of rules. As a resource for you as you sort out your disability claim, the disability lawyers at Silver & Archibald have prepared answers to some of the most common questions people have.
Common Disability Benefits Questions »
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