SSA Rules and Social Security Disability Benefits for People 50 and Older
Our firm helps individuals of all ages. However, if you are 50 or older, different rules may apply to your case to help you win. These rules apply to disabled individuals who do not meet a listing. These special rules are the Medical Vocational or “Grid” rules.
The “GRIDs” are a series of tables the SSA uses to determine if you are disabled if your condition doesn’t meet a listing. The factors the SSA considers when using the GRIDs are your age, education level, skill level of jobs you have performed in the past 5 years, and your residual functional capacity (RFC).
When you apply for disability, if the Social Security Administration (SSA) decides your condition doesn’t meet a medical listing (a “listing” is a series of special rules to determine if you should “automatically” receive disability benefits), and decides you can’t do your past job, the SSA will refer to the “GRID rules” if you are 50 years of age and older. The GRID rules are applied differently for individuals between the ages of 50 and 54 and 55 and over.
The GRID rules provide an advantage to you if you are over the age of 50 and cannot work due to your medical conditions. However, there is no guarantee that the Social Security Administration will find that you meet the GRID Rules. Our disability attorneys will help frame your case to try and get you approved using the GRID rules.
Using the GRID rules is only one way to win, or lose, a claim at this point in the evaluation. Even if the GRID directs a finding of “not disabled,” you may still be approved. There is more than one way to try and win your case.
Even if the GRIDs alone would deny you disability benefits, there are other strategies you can use to try and win your claim. For example, if you meet a medical listing, or have insufficient RFC to work, you may be approved even if you do not meet a GRID rule.
These rules also impact whether a person who is close to retirement age should apply for disability or retirement benefits. For example, if you are 62, you could apply for early retirement. However, doing so will result in reduced monthly benefits. If you are disabled, then it may be a better choice to apply for SSDI instead. Our experienced disability attorneys can help you decide on the best choice given your unique situation.
"I highly recommend this firm. Karen Lowe was so helpful and kind throughout the whole process. Every email and call was promptly returned and every question answered."
- Melissa K, a satisfied MCV Law Social Security Disability client
How MCV Law helps you
The SSA rules for people 50 and over are different. If you are 50 or older and have worked at a physical job that you can no longer perform, you may be more likely to be approved for SSDI than someone who is under 50. Our Social Security Disability attorneys will work with you to help you understand the rules and put together a strong application for benefits.