Social Security Disability: Will My Age Matter?

There are two types of social security disability. There is Social Security Disability (SSD), which is also referred to as Title 2. To qualify, you must have worked five out of the last ten years. There is also Supplemental Security Income (SSI), which is also known as Title 16. Title 16 is for people who have not worked five of the last ten years. To qualify for SSI, you must have very limited financial resources, no more than $2,000 in assets.

So, how do you qualify for SSD? The first step is proving that you cannot perform your past work. All work is qualified as sedentary, light, medium, heavy, and very heavy. Work is also classified as unskilled, semiskilled, and skilled.

For many years, you had to prove that you cannot perform the work you had done for the last 15 years. In June 2024, the requirement changed, requiring you to prove you can’t do the work you’ve done for only the last 5 years.

But age is another – and major – factor in qualifying for Social Security Disability.

People under 50 are considered Younger Individuals. They must prove not only that they cannot do their past work but also that they cannot perform a sit/stand sedentary unskilled position.

The next age category is 50 to 55, which is labeled Approaching Advanced Age. In that age category, a person limited to a sedentary job the person is disabled. They must also show that no skills from their previous jobs would transfer to a sedentary one.

The next age category is 55 to 60, Advanced Age. If you are in that age range, cannot perform the work you did in the last five years, and are limited to light and or sedentary work, you are disabled. You must also prove that you have no transferable skills.

The final age category is 60 to 65, which is Approaching Retirement Age. If your disability limits you to no more than light work and you do not have transferable skills, you are disabled. In this age category transferable skills are those that are highly marketable and transfer with little or no vocational adjustment.

Again, the rule regarding past work was recently changed. A lot of Social Security Disability denials are based on the finding that the applicant can perform their past work. Remember that as of June 2024 one must only show that they cannot do their past work for the last five years.

Social Security Disability is a complex system with many detailed rules. Let the experts at Metzger Wickersham help you navigate the system to get you what you need. Contact us today. (888) 286-2850