Social Security Disability Rules After Age 55 (2024)

FAQs

Social Security Disability Rules After Age 55? ›

If you're older than 55, you may qualify for disability benefits if you have an RFC of “light” or “sedentary.” This means that the medical evidence supports that you can only do “light” or “sedentary” work.

Qualifying for disability benefits after age 55 is easier than in your twenties or thirties, thanks to special rules known as the medical-vocational grid. These rules target people in their retirement age who can't perform their previous jobs.

The 55 Years Old Rule simply states that once a veteran reaches the age of 55, they are protected from such periodic C&P examinations and any reduction to their current disability ratings.

There is no specific age at which continuing disability reviews automatically stop. Instead, it depends on several factors. The frequency of CDRs generally depends on the likelihood of a medical improvement. If improvement is designated by SSA as “expected,” they will schedule reviews every 6 to 18 months.

There is a risk, however. If you collect early retirement but are not granted disability benefits, you may be stuck collecting less than your full retirement for the rest of your life. In most cases, if you are already receiving SSDI, you're better off waiting to retire until after 65.

Grid Rules for Age 55 and Over

An applicant aged 55 to 59 with a history of unskilled work is disabled. An applicant aged 55 to 59 without any past relevant work in the last five years is disabled. An applicant aged 55 to 59 with a history of skilled or semi-skilled work, but no transferable job skills, is disabled.

The so-called “five-year rule” for Social Security disability allows people who have already received disability benefits to skip a required waiting period in the re-application process after they've returned to work.

The Social Security 5-year rule refers specifically to disability benefits. It requires that you must have worked five out of the last ten years immediately before your disability onset to qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).

Arthritis and other musculoskeletal system disabilities make up the most commonly approved conditions for social security disability benefits. This is because arthritis is so common. In the United States, over 58 million people suffer from arthritis.

At age 55, individuals may become eligible for certain health insurance benefits, such as Medicare in the United States. Medicare provides healthcare coverage for seniors and can help alleviate the financial burden of medical expenses.

What not to say in a disability review? ›

It is always best, and advised, to be truthful. Here are some notable statements you should NOT say at your disability hearing: “I can do anything.” Telling the judge, “I can lift whatever I want, but my back will just hurt a lot the next day,” does nothing to help your claim.

Permanent disability (PD) is any lasting disability from your work injury or illness that affects your ability to earn a living. If your injury or illness results in PD you are entitled to PD benefits, even if you are able to go back to work.

One of the cons of being on disability is the potential impact on your future work opportunities. While SSDI allows for a trial work period and offers work incentives to help you transition back to employment, many beneficiaries find it difficult to return to the workforce after an extended period of benefits.

Fortunately, your likelihood of securing these disability benefits greatly increases when you reach the age of 55. The reason why this is the case is because the SSA is far more likely to determine that someone over the age of 55 can't work and support themselves.

Social Security disability benefits automatically change to retirement benefits when disability beneficiaries become full retirement age. The law does not allow a person to receive both retirement and disability benefits on one earnings record at the same time.

Your period of disability ends on the last day of the month before the month in which you become 65 years old or, if earlier, the last day of the second month following the month in which your disability ended. (1) The month before the month in which you attain full retirement age as defined in § 404.409.

It has been shown that disabled applicants over 50 are twice as likely to be approved than those under 50. One study revealed an upward curve in approval rates, with younger applicants being approved at significantly lower rates than seniors.

The rule of 55 is an IRS provision that allows workers who leave their job for any reason to start taking penalty-free distributions from their current employer's retirement plan in or after the year they reach age 55.

The risk of disability rises with age.

People are more than twice as likely to receive SSDI at age 50 as at 40 — and more than twice as likely at age 60 as at 50. This reflects the underlying increase in disabling health conditions as people age.

You must be between the ages of 18 and 65 years old to be eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). For Supplemental Security Income (SSI) on the other hand, you can be between birth and 65 years old.