When it comes to Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), age is more than just a number. The Social Security Administration (SSA) considers age along with other factors like skill level, education, and residual functional capacity (RFC) to decide if you are eligible for disability benefits. This blog post will explain how age impacts SSDI eligibility and why it’s important to understand this part of the process.
SSDI Eligibility Process
To understand how age affects SSDI and SSI eligibility, let’s first look at the SSA’s five-step process for determining if someone can receive benefits:
- Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA)
The SSA first checks if you are working and earning money. If you make more than a certain amount, each month (which changes yearly), the SSA considers this substantial gainful activity. If you earn above this threshold, you may not be considered disabled.
- Severe Impairment
Next, the SSA checks if you have a severe physical or mental impairment that limits your ability to do basic work tasks. If your impairment is not considered severe, you won’t qualify for disability benefits.
- Listing of Impairments
If you have a severe impairment, the SSA then checks if your condition matches or is as severe as one of the medical conditions listed in the SSA’s “Listing of Impairments.” If it does, you are considered disabled and eligible for benefits.
- Residual Functional Capacity (RFC)
If your condition doesn’t meet or equal a listed impairment, the SSA evaluates your residual functional capacity (RFC). This measures what you can still do despite your limitations. The SSA looks at your physical and mental abilities to decide if you can do any work you’ve done before.
- Ability to Do Other Work
If you can’t do your past work, the SSA figures out if there’s other work you can do. They consider your age, education, work history, and RFC. If you can’t do any other work, you are considered disabled and eligible for benefits.
Age and Disability Eligibility
Age becomes a factor in the last step of the SSA’s evaluation process, where they determine if you can transition to other work despite your impairments. As people age, it becomes harder to adapt to new job roles, especially if they have limited skills or education. The SSA recognizes this and uses specific guidelines, known as the Medical-Vocational Guidelines or “grid rules,” to decide if an applicant’s limitations, including age, prevent them from adjusting to other work. These rules consider four key factors:
Residual Functional Capacity (RFC): RFC measures your physical and mental abilities to perform work-related tasks. The SSA classifies physical capability under five levels:
- Sedentary: Can’t lift/carry over 10 pounds occasionally or 5 pounds frequently, and can’t stand/walk for over 2 hours in an eight-hour workday.
- Light: Can’t lift/carry over 10 pounds frequently or 20 pounds occasionally, but can stand/walk for up to six hours in an eight-hour workday.
- Medium: Can lift/carry 25 pounds frequently, 50 pounds occasionally.
- Heavy: Can lift/carry 50 pounds frequently, 100 pounds occasionally.
- Very Heavy: Can lift/carry 50-100 pounds frequently, over 100 pounds occasionally.
RFC also looks at non-exertional limitations like stooping, crawling, and environmental restrictions. For mental conditions, the RFC assesses abilities like maintaining attention, understanding instructions, working independently, interacting with others, and coping with changes and stress.
Education
Education is another key factor in your ability to transition to different types of work. The SSA categorizes education levels as:
- Illiterate: Unable to read or write.
- Marginal Education: Up to 6th grade.
- Limited Education: 7th through 11th grade.
- High School Graduate or More**: Includes GEDs.
- Recent Specialized Training: For a skilled job like nursing.
The SSA also considers how practical it is for older individuals to start new educational endeavors to transition to different types of work.
Work Experience Skills
This assessment focuses on the complexity and demands of your past work and whether those skills can be transferred to different jobs. The SSA categorizes job skill levels into three main types:
- Skilled Jobs: Require at least 6 months of training and involve specific qualifications, judgment, and knowledge.
- Semi-Skilled Jobs: Require some skills but not complex tasks. Training usually takes 3 to 6 months and often requires alertness and attention.
- Unskilled Jobs: Do not require advanced skills or decision-making. Training can typically be completed in under a month and involves basic tasks.
Age
The SSA divides applicants into distinct age categories, each with different implications for work adjustment:
- Younger Person (Under age 50):More adaptable to new work environments and roles.
- Closely Approaching Advanced Age (50-54): Adaptability begins to decrease.
- Advanced Age (55 and older):Significant limitations in adapting to new work.
- Closely Approaching Retirement Age (60 and older):Most limited in terms of adaptability.
To apply the grid rules, the SSA first assesses your RFC to determine what you can do despite your impairments. Next, they place you in the appropriate age category and evaluate your education and work experience. By locating the intersection of these four factors on the grid, the SSA determines whether you are “disabled” or “not disabled.”
For example, an individual over 55 with limited education and a work history involving unskilled labor is more likely to be deemed disabled under the grid rules compared to a younger person with a similar profile.
Getting Help with Your Disability Claim
Given the complexities involved, seeking legal advice from a Social Security disability lawyer can be invaluable. A lawyer can help you understand how your age may affect your eligibility and assist you throughout the application process, increasing your chances of a favorable outcome.
If you are considering applying for SSDI or SSI, don’t pursue the process alone. Contact our experienced Social Security disability lawyers today for a free evaluation to get the guidance and support you need.