Ask Larry

Can I Draw On My Mother's Record If I'm Already Drawing Benefits On My Father's Record?

I collect SSDI and Disabled Adult Child benefits under my deceased father's work record. Can I draw on my mother's record. Can they combine the two.

Hi. If your mother is deceased or drawing Social Security retirement or disability benefits then you may be able to qualify for disabled adult child's (DAC) benefits on her account. However, you could only be paid on whichever record yields the higher benefit rate, not both.

Establishing entitlement to benefits on more than one parent's account can potentially allow the family maximum benefit (FMB) rates on those accounts to be combined. But, combining the FMBs on your parent's accounts would only translate to a higher benefit rate for you if your DAC benefit rate is being reduced because of the FMB. You'll need to check with Social Security to find out if it would benefit you to apply on your mother's account.

Best, Jerry

Posted: 
Apr 14 2022 - 4:23pm
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