If an Oklahoma resident is injured, ill or has a condition that results in an inability to work, Social Security Disability benefits can be a critical factor in making ends meet and getting treatment. However, many people are denied SSD benefits even if they seem to have a solid case from the beginning. This might not be due to factors related to their condition, but because of the information – or lack thereof – they provided to the Social Security Administration during the application process. There is a five-step process the SSA uses to make its determinations and it is important for people to adhere to this to have the best chance at an approval.
The SSA will not only want to know if the person can work and if they can do the same type of work they did before, but it will need information as to whether the person can do other kinds of work. A key part of that is the person’s age. The SSA has certain criteria when it assesses a person’s age in the context of the ability to do other kinds of work. The SSA will consider the person’s chronological age and their residual functional capacity. It also looks at work experience and education. Age is not the sole determinative factor when the SSA considers if the person can adapt to a different type of work. If the person is advancing in age, this could limit that adjustment.
For those under 50, age will generally not be a major consideration when thinking about the adaptive abilities. For some who are 45 to 49 years of age, there could be an issue in adjusting to other types of work when compared to those under 45-years-old. Those who are 50 to 54 years of age will have their age factored in with the severity of their impairment and the possibility that they have a limited work experience and how it can negatively impact getting a different job. If the person is 55-years-old or older, age will be a hindrance to adjusting to other work. The SSA has different rules for people who are closing in on retirement age.
People who are seeking SSD benefits often miss their opportunity for approval not because their impairment does not meet the requirements, but because they have not given the necessary information to the SSA in their application to receive Social Security Disability benefits.