Ask Larry

Can I Get Part Of My Dad's Benefits If I'm On SSDI?

My dad died at 80 in December... Im on ssdi can I get part of his benefits..? My mother is still alive...

Hi. I'm sorry for your loss. The only way that you could get benefits from your father's account is if you qualify for child's benefits. Assuming that you're older than age 21, the only way that you could qualify for child's benefits is as a disabled adult child (DAC). To qualify for DAC benefits, you must have become disabled by Social Security's standards prior to age 22. You also can't have done any work after turning age 22 that Social Security would define as substantial gainful activity (SGA). The monthly level of earnings that's classified as SGA has changed over the years, but it is currently $1310 for non-blind individuals.

Also, you couldn't collect DAC benefits if your own Social Security disability (SSDI) benefits are higher than your DAC rate. Unreduced surviving DAC benefits are paid at a rate of 75% of the deceased worker's primary insurance amount (PIA). If you think you may qualify for DAC benefits, you'll likely want to contact Social Security to see about applying for benefits.

Best, Jerry

Posted: 
May 28 2021 - 9:15am
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