Key Points in This Article:

• Social security disability rules after age 55 can change.
• The Social Security Administration uses the Blue Book Listing of Impairments and grid rules to assist in determining disability eligibility. 
• Residual functional capacity is an important part of SSDI eligibility and refers to one’s ability to work physically or mentally. 

Qualifying for Social Security disability benefits is challenging, and the sad reality is that the Social Security Administration (SSA) denies the majority of claimants. 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. That said, you must still qualify under the SSA’s criteria. 

In this blog, you’ll learn about Social Security disability rules after age 55, grid rules, and what to do if the SSA denies your benefits. 

Grid Rules for Social Security

To understand the Social Security disability rules after age 55, it’s important to know about the SSA’s grid rules as well as other aspects of the approval process. Typically, you qualify for SSA disability benefits if you have a condition listed in the Blue Book Listing of Impairments that keeps you from working. Some of the conditions included in this “Blue Book” are heart disease, cancer, respiratory failure, blindness, and many other afflictions. If you don’t have a condition listed in the “Blue Book,” you need to be able to prove that you suffer from an unlisted condition that keeps you from earning gainful employment. 

Additionally, the likelihood of you being able to support yourself decreases as you age, especially if you have limited education or lack work experience. That’s why the SSA also uses grid rules to determine applicant eligibility, and the government agency is far more likely to approve those over 55. 

The reason why these are called grid rules is because the SSA uses a grid to consider various factors when you apply, such as age, education, previous work, and residual functional capacity. 

SSDI Grid Rules Over 55

The most important factor that the SSA evaluates is your residual functional capacity (RFC), which means your ability to work physically or mentally despite your limiting condition. They’ll categorize your RFC as one of the following: sedentary, light, medium, or heavy.

Once the SSA evaluates your work capacity, the agency will look into your previous fifteen years of employment and determine whether or not you can return to work based on your RFC. For instance, if you worked as a coal miner or a lumberjack and have an RFC considered “light,” the SSA should determine that you can’t return to your previous work. If you can return to work based on your RFC, the SSA will deny your benefits. 

If the SSA determines that you can’t return to work, they will then decide whether or not it’s realistic for you to work another job. They’ll use the grid rules to consider your education, work experience, age, and RFC. 

Here, those 55 and older have an advantage. 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.  You must also not have transferable skills or an education that enables you to perform skilled work. Plus, you may qualify if your RFC is “medium,” and you lack work experience and have only a limited education. 

If you have transferable skills or an education that enables you to start skilled work, you may not qualify for Social Security disability benefits under the “grid” and other arguments can be made by your attorney. 

SSDI Grid Rules Over 50 

Those applying for SSA disability benefits are mostly treated the same before age 55. For instance, a 50-year-old and a 25-year-old may undergo the same evaluation process, and the SSA will likely not consider age a major factor for estimating whether or not a claimant is eligible.  However, oftentimes the evaluation for SSDI grid rules can also help you if you are over 50 years old. 

Rhoads & Rhoads | SSDI Attorney

While those over 55 have a higher chance of securing Social Security disability benefits, there are no guarantees that you will qualify. The process is challenging, and only 28% of those who initially apply receive benefits. 

If you’re struggling to receive SSDI benefits, you don’t need to go through the appeals process alone. For expert Social Security attorneys in Western Kentucky, contact Rhoads & Rhoads Attorneys at Law. We have 50 years of experience helping Kentucky residents, and we’ll work to secure you the benefits you deserve. 

Get a free evaluation today by calling 888-709-9329, or you can contact us online here.