In general, if you are age 50 or older when you apply for Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits, you can expect a less stringent process en route to approval than a younger person might encounter. Just as with a younger person, your disability must meet the required definition to qualify you, and you should have a long-enough work history in most cases.
A more streamlined approval process is even more likely if you qualify and you are aged 55 or older. A knowledgeable and experienced Social Security Disability (SSD) attorney can help you make the most of your age advantage after the onset of a disability during the latter years of your career.
Factors that often help older disabled workers get approval for benefits more readily than younger ones include:
- Challenges associated with job retraining in later years
- The coexistence of multiple disorders – common for late-middle-aged workers
Older Workers Have Less Time For Job Retraining
The Social Security Administration (SSA) typically recognizes the challenges that an older age bracket imposes on a disabled worker with regard to job retraining potential. For workers who previously engaged in manual labor and are no longer able to because of a medical condition, it may be impractical to retrain. A disabled worker over age 50 may have educational deficiencies from the past that are difficult to overcome. While some older people do go back to school and become qualified in new types of work, for many, the journey to retraining is daunting and impractical.
Multiple Impairments Are More Common As Years Go By
Another factor that contributes to more approvals for workers over age 50 is the common existence of multiple impairments by that age. Conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and obesity often develop in later years. Deterioration of joints, heart attacks, cancer and onset of late-in-life vocational diseases such as lung ailments triggered by working conditions are all examples of ailments more likely to affect older workers. A combination of multiple conditions plays a role in approval for SSD benefits for quite a few disabled workers in their 50s and 60s.
Discuss Your Qualifying Disability And The SSD Process With An Attorney
Descriptions on this website of common steps in the SSD application and appeals process are general by nature. A personal consultation with a lawyer can help determine whether the disability that has affected your ability to work is, in fact, likely grounds for approval of SSD benefits, whether you are in your 50s, 60s or any age.
One call does it all when you work with the Disability Advantage Group, in Knoxville. We strive to make it easy for you to get answers and get help as you prepare to apply for SSD benefits or appeal a denied claim. Schedule a free consultation by calling 865-566-0800. You may also send an email through this website for a prompt response.