Adult now 52 but disabled before 22 and parent deceased, can I collect on my dad's social security?

What I meant to say is unknowingly committ fraud. It happened with my sister on behalf of her disabled son who was his guardian also. Now her son has to pay back thirty thousand dollars to social security, all because of an unknown error my sister made.

Paint, do you have documentation that you were disabled before 22? Your mother would have gotten money for you between 14-18 on your father's record as a dependent child. If you were getting benefits as disabled, they would have continued after 18. So the difficulty is whether your disability relates to period from childhood. If your Congressman got involved and there is still no action, that may be the problem. As parent of disabled child, documentation of the disability is the key in the right time frame. There are lawyers that specialize in SSI. ask one of them if you can get retroactive benefits. If you cannot produce documents of your childhood disability through medical and school records, that is required for SSI to reach back to your parents records.
If you have not applied for Medicaid in your state, do that as well as meals on wheels, and check your local transport options for disabled persons. You might not make more SSI but you might reduce expenses. Sorry your husband's choices left you in a bad spot.

I don't envy you the job of having to deal with social security officials. Ohmygoodness but it does try the patience.

However. Do you have an alternative? If not, and it certainly doesn't sound like it, then I'm afraid it's back to the drawing board - get back on the phone and start again.

Now look. Forget fraud; and for heaven's sake drop the attitude towards people who are only suggesting common sense in avoiding what could be serious trouble. When you are asked when you became disabled, answer that question. If you don't know the exact date, give the approximate year or say 'from infancy'. But for heaven's sake don't start second-guessing, trying to work out the 'correct' answer according to what you believe they really want to know - you just muddle everything up.

Before accusing these 2 posters (or either of them) of being unkind, not helpful, or in condemnation mode, you might want to think about your own explanations and reactions. No one actually accused you of fraud. They WERE trying to be helpful, just by taking time to respond to your inquiry.

Your last sentence reveals a lot about your general attitude toward people.

And BTW, you don't need to drive to the SS office. If you have a phone, land line or cell, that can work just as well for calling the SS office.

Paintinc17, unfortunately your question is beyond the scope of what us Caregivers can answer. My gosh, you even had your Congressman advocate for you. So unless there is a Caregiver on this forum who is a social security expert, it looks like you did everything you could.

It might be time to reconsider the welfare system, if anyone needs a helping hand it would be you.

I wasn't lying to Social Security nor committing fraud of any kind. I filled out the paperwork as best I could & was not sure what to put for that question since back then no one even considered getting social security for a disabled child & I only received SS after my dad died when I was 14 & only until I turned 18 so was not sure if the question applied. As for my husband he was mentally ill, abusive & certainly did not care what I thought about how he ran his painting business & told me so numerous times when I BEGGED him to go above board. Since I had no work experience & no way of supporting myself & did NOT want to EVER go on welfare I had little power in the relationship. Frankly I took being physically & emotionally abused just so I would not have to listen to people like you condemn me. Thanks for your "help". By the way contacting SS is IMPOSSIBLE, I had to have my congressman advocate for me after spending weeks calling & getting the brush off over a mistake SS made. I live 65 miles from the nearest SS office, 130 mile round trip & I do not have a car. Otherwise I WOULD ask SS myself!

I should have known better than to think people would be kind or helpful.

Too bad your husband chose to work under the table all his life. You would have been able to collect more than you get now under your deceased husband's SSI. As far as collecting under your father's, you would have had to been declared disabled as a child. I doubt you can collect after the fact. Your SSI income qualifies you for free healthcare, food stamps, low income housing and other freesocial programs. These freebies are legitimate where you don't have to commit fraud to recieve more funds.

Talk with social security. Tell them the trusth as it constitutes fraud to do otherwise. Maybe others will have the answer to your question.