Social Security Disability Over 55- Important Notes to Know
Did you know that it is possible to enjoy a Social Security disability over 55 years of age? The basic premise of the policy is that if your age is between 55 to 59, and you are already physically limited which means that you can no longer get a gainful employment, then there is a big chance that you can get approved for disability benefits. While this may seem like a piece of good news to some, keep in mind that the approval depends on a number of factors. To come up with a decision if the person is eligible for disability payments, the agency uses ‘grid rules’, and these rules are used to tell if the applicant is disabled or not disabled. And often the decision will depend on the person’s Residual Functional Capacity or RFC, which refers to sedentary, light, medium, heavy and very heavy.
RFC for Different Types of Work Defines the Approval for Social Security Disability Over 55 Years Old
To understand how applicants and cases are decided, it is important to know that there are tables that are used, detailing the Residual Functional Capacity of the person. And there is a separate table used for every RFC, from sedentary to very heavy. If one takes a look at the RFC schedule for sedentary work, the decision will be dependent on the education and previous work experience. Just imagine an applicant who did not even reach an 11th grade education performing unskilled work or with no past relevant work. With this background of the person, the Social Security will decide on this as ‘disabled’. using the same RFC for sedentary work with the same education level but with skilled type of work with transferable skills, then the Social Security will decide on this as not disabled. If you are aged 55 or even 59 years old, it is critical that you have an understanding of this grid and the RFC so you will know your chances of being approved (or rejected).
What to Do in Case the Social Security Decides that you are Not Disabled?
In in case the grid says ‘not disabled’, you can still dispute the decision for Social Security disability over 55 years of age. This can be addressed if you can show and demonstrate to the agency that you can do and complete the work which they think you cannot complete anymore. And the easiest approach to contest a disability decision for the Social Security disability over 55 years of age is to show that you cannot satisfactory complete a ‘sit-down task’.
