If you’re disabled and you’re planning to apply for Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), then you’ve likely read the horror stories online about how many applicants have their applications for benefits denied on the first attempt. There are various reasons why the Social Security Administration (SSA) may deny your application. Age is one of those factors that may enhance your chances of being awarded benefits as opposed to hurting you though.
The SSA has special rules in place that its reviewers must apply when evaluating claims submitted by individuals 50 and over. The federal agency takes into account how an older applicant’s age may adversely impact their ability to master new job skills or adjust to a new work environment when evaluating their file.
Reviewers are trained to take into account the severity of an individual’s impairment, the breadth of their work experience and age when evaluating the file of someone between the ages of 50 and 54. File reviewers are often tasked with taking all of these factors into account and determining how they collectively may impact an individual’s ability to transition into a new line of work.
The SSA also trains its disability benefits file reviewers to be even more cognizant of the struggles that individuals between the ages of 55 and 59 may face in adjusting to a new work role. These reviewers are taught to be even more aware of this if an applicant is nearing retirement age of 60 or older.
If a 58-year-old individual solely has worked in fields requiring them to perform physically-strenuous tasks suffers some type of back injury, then their ability to hold on to their job or obtain a new one may be significantly diminished. Applicants such as this may be more apt to have their applications for disability benefits approved over someone younger. This happens because the SSA believes that younger applicants have time to train for a less physically-demanding role.
Applying for and receiving SSD is far from a slam dunk. An attorney can share their experience in helping other Oklahoma City residents like you in securing benefits though. Your lawyer can let you know whether the combination of your injuries or illness, your age and education give you a stronger chance for securing benefits in your Oklahoma case.