I am soon turning 66 and plan to retire at that time and apply for my full social security. I have an adult (25 yo), unmarried adult disabled son with a mental disorder . He lives with my working wife and I, and is on medicaid. Will anything happen with his benefits after I retire?

Hi,

It sounds like your son may qualify for disabled adult child's (DAC) benefits when you start drawing your benefits, assuming that he became disabled prior to age 22. And if he does qualify, your wife may also qualify for child in care spousal benefits on your record.

If your son receives Supplemental Security Income (SSI), then those benefits would likely be offset roughly dollar for dollar by the amount of any DAC benefits that he receives. Or, if he qualifies for Social Security disability benefits (SSDI), he could only be paid the higher of his SSDI or DAC rate. Medicaid is a needs based program, so your son's eligibility for that program could be affected if his entitlement to DAC benefits increases the total amount of his income.

There are a number of variables involved that could affect your optimal filing strategy, such as your wife's age and whether or not she qualifies for Social Security benefits on her own record. Before you file, you should strongly consider using our maximization software in order to compare all of your options to help you determine the best overall filing strategy for you and your family.

Best, Jerry