The approval rate for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) can vary based on a number of factors. As such, there are many applicants who wonder whether it is easier to get approved for SSDI at a specific age or not.
Yes, the SSDI approval rate can vary based on age. In general, the older you are, the more chances you have of being approved for SSDI. Applicants who are advanced in age or near retirement age are most likely to get approval for SSDI.
Keep reading below as we describe the SSDI approval rate by age.
SSDI Approval Rate by Age
Millions of Americans rely on Social Security Disability Insurance payments. People are twice as likely to receive SSDI beyond the age of 50 as they are when they are 40 years old. The likelihood of receiving SSDI beyond age 60 is about three times higher than it is at age 50.
According to the most recent data, around 5.5 million people between the ages of 55 and 65 received SSDI benefits in 2020. In spite of the fact that approximately 50 million people paid social security taxes on their earnings in 2020, not a single person under the age of 34 was awarded benefits from the program.
According to the Social Security Administration’s Medical-Vocational Guidelines, applicants for Social Security disability payments must fall into one of five age brackets:
- Younger individual age 18-44
- Younger individual age 45–49
- Closely approaching advanced age 50–54
- Advanced age 55–59
- Closely approaching retirement age 60 and over
When an individual enters the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) retirement or advanced age group, the process of qualifying for and receiving disability payments becomes significantly simpler.
It is much more likely that a person over the age of 55 who is disabled and unable to work will receive SSDI benefits. However, if a person over the age of 55 is able to perform sedentary employment, he or she may be able to transfer to “skilled” labor and will be regarded as not disabled.
According to Social Security Administration regulations, younger applicants who are able to work sedentary jobs are often not approved for disability benefits. In some cases, however, the Social Security Administration may find applicants 55 and up to be disabled even though they are capable of performing light or sedentary work.
Disability Benefits from Social Security: Your Chances After Age 55
When a person reaches advanced age, their chances of qualifying for disability payments increase. According to the criteria established by the Social Security Administration, a person is considered to be of advanced age if they are in the age bracket of 55 to 59 years.
Grids are a set of tables used by the Social Security Administration to assess whether or not a claimant is disabled when that claimant does not fulfill a listing or requirement under the Social Security Administration’s Blue Book.
A person who is younger than 50 years old will not find the grids beneficial because they usually regard people in this age range as “not disabled.” As with anything, there are exceptions to this depending on the person’s specific case, work history, and disability.
The grid rules are more favorable for a person who falls into one of the older age groups. For example, approval for disability payments is significantly more likely if a person aged 50 to 54 can only perform sedentary labor or less and lacks the vocational skills necessary to engage in alternative forms of employment.
If you are between the ages of 55 and 59, and the SSA determines that your medical condition does not fulfill an SSA Blue Book listing but that you are unable to do your previous employment, the SSA will utilize the “grid rules” for that age group to determine whether or not you are disabled.
The SSA uses these grids to evaluate applicants based on their age, degree of education, level of work-related skills, and results of the residual functional capacity test (RFC).
If you are 55 or older and unable to perform light work, your chances of receiving benefits may increase with the grid rules. An older worker is not required to participate in vocational adjustment training by the Social Security Administration.
At What Age Do I Become Eligible for Social Security Disability?
Disabled individuals as young as 18 years old may be eligible for SSDI benefits. This is because a person must be 18 years of age or older to qualify for SSDI benefits based on their work history.
On the other hand, an individual who has reached the age of 18 may be eligible for disability payments if they can prove that their parents have a qualifying work history.
This type of benefit is referred to as a Childhood Disability Beneficiary (CDB), and it can be given to a person who is 18 years old or who became disabled before the age of 22 and whose parent(s) worked and paid social security taxes in the past but who are now either disabled, retired, or have passed away.
The older you are, the greater your chances of being eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance. This is because you will have more work credits if you are older since, in theory, you would have worked for a longer period of time. Also, statistically, the older you are, the higher your chances of approval.
People over the age of 50 are seen as less employable by the Social Security Administration. Furthermore, it is often more difficult to train people over the age of 50 in a new skill to broaden their employment alternatives.
Because of this those who are in an older age bracket have a greater probability of qualifying for disability payments on the basis of the SSA’s evaluation criteria.
The minimum age to qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits is 18, but the likelihood of a successful claim improves with age. When you reach retirement age, you will immediately begin receiving retirement benefits.
Should I Hire a Disability Attorney?
Benefits approval does become less of a hassle after age 50, but it is still a lengthy procedure. Delays might occur if the required paperwork is incomplete or wrong. If you hire a qualified SSDI lawyer, you may increase the likelihood of getting your benefits application granted quickly.
Because attorneys are paid fees set by the SSA out of the back pay you receive when your application is granted, there is no up-front cost associated with legal assistance.
Conclusion
So, while SSDI can vary based on age and older applicants generally have a higher chance of approval, you can still improve your chances by seeking out legal assistance, getting help from an advocate, and following the protocols.
