This is such a helpful thread! As someone new to navigating Social Security benefits, I'm learning so much from everyone's experiences. It sounds like the key takeaway for your neighbor is that while her 4-year-old will get the full 50% benefit they're entitled to once the twins age out, the household will still experience a significant income reduction because that money the twins were receiving doesn't just transfer over. I'm bookmarking several of these suggestions - the BOAN request, visiting the local office in person, and that Claimyr service for getting through to SSA faster. It's frustrating how complicated these calculations are and how hard it can be to get clear answers from SSA directly. Your neighbor is lucky to have someone like you helping her navigate this system! Has anyone here dealt with appealing benefit calculations if they think SSA made an error? I'm wondering if that's something families should be aware of as an option if the numbers don't seem right.

This is such valuable information for families dealing with SSDI dependent benefits! I'm relatively new to understanding how Social Security works, but I've been helping my elderly father navigate some benefit questions recently. One thing I want to emphasize from reading through all these responses is how important it is to get everything in writing from SSA. When I was helping my dad, we had three different phone representatives give us three different answers to the same question. It wasn't until we got the official documentation that we knew what was actually correct. For your neighbor, in addition to all the great suggestions here about getting the BOAN report and visiting the local office, I'd recommend she ask for any benefit changes or calculations to be sent to her in writing. That way she has official documentation of exactly when the twins' benefits will end and what the new payment amounts will be. Also, has she looked into whether there are any local organizations that help families navigate Social Security benefits? Sometimes community centers, disability advocacy groups, or even libraries have volunteers who are familiar with the system and can help interpret the documentation once she gets it from SSA.

To summarize what everyone has said: 1. Your children's survivor benefits continue until they turn 18 (or 19 if still in high school) regardless of YOUR marital status 2. SSA doesn't monitor social media platforms 3. Cohabitation without legal marriage has no effect on benefits 4. Only legal remarriage would affect any widow's benefits YOU might receive (not the children's) So go ahead and use whatever name you want on social media without worrying about it affecting benefits.

I understand your concern about protecting your children's benefits - that's such an important priority as a parent. Just wanted to add that if you're still feeling anxious about this, you could also consider using a hyphenated name on social media (like Curtis-[Boyfriend's Last Name]) as a compromise. That way you're showing your relationship status without fully adopting his name, though as everyone has said, either approach is fine from a benefits perspective. The key thing is that you're being thoughtful about your family's financial security, which shows you're a great mom!

This is totally normal! I've been getting Social Security for about 7 years now and this happens every time there's a federal holiday that would interfere with the regular payment schedule. The SSA processes payments early to make sure you don't have to wait longer than usual. Presidents Day is February 17th this year, so that's definitely why your payment came early. You can always check the official SSA payment calendar on their website to see when holidays will affect your payment dates throughout the year. No need to worry - you're getting your regular payment, just on an adjusted schedule!

Same thing happened to me! I've been receiving disability benefits for about 3 years and this caught me off guard too. Like others mentioned, it's definitely because of Presidents Day. I've learned to check the SSA payment calendar at the beginning of each year - it shows all the adjusted dates when holidays fall near regular payment dates. It's actually pretty convenient when you think about it, since we get our money sooner rather than having to wait until after the holiday. Just wanted to add my experience to confirm this is totally normal!

dont forget to setup direct deposit!!! my first check got mailed and i almost missed it cause it went to my old address

I'm in a similar boat - turning 67 next month and planning to work until my birthday before starting benefits. Reading through all these responses is really reassuring! Just wanted to add that I called SSA last week using the number on their website (1-800-772-1213) and got through after about 45 minutes on hold. They confirmed my application was received and processing normally. The agent told me that as long as you're past FRA, working right up to your benefit start date is totally fine and very common. She also mentioned that you can check your application status anytime through your my Social Security account online, which I didn't know before. Good luck with everything!

I work as a disability advocate and want to add a few important points that might help. First, when you call SSA, ask if they can do a "concurrent application" - this means they'll process both the termination of her child benefits and the start of her DAC benefits at the same time to minimize any gap. Second, make sure to ask about retroactive benefits if there's any delay in processing - sometimes they can backdate the effective date. Finally, keep detailed notes of every phone call and interaction with SSA, including names and dates. If something goes wrong, having that documentation can be crucial for appeals. The DAC benefit is really designed for situations exactly like yours, so don't let anyone try to steer you toward regular SSDI. You've got this!

I just want to echo what everyone else is saying - definitely call SSA ASAP and specifically ask for Disabled Adult Child (DAC) benefits, not regular SSDI. My cousin went through this transition last year and her benefits actually increased slightly under DAC. One thing that really helped was bringing a timeline of her daughter's medical history organized chronologically - the SSA rep said it made the disability determination much clearer since they could see the progression from early childhood. Also, don't be discouraged if the first person you talk to doesn't seem familiar with DAC benefits - it's unfortunately common. Just politely ask to speak with someone who specializes in disabled adult child cases. The whole process took about 6 weeks for my cousin, but because she applied early there was no gap in payments. You're being proactive by asking these questions now!