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Is It Easier to Get Disability After Age 50 in Ohio?

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How Age Affects Your Social Security Disability

Your age, especially over 50, can make it easier to win Social Security Disability benefits and vital financial help when you can’t work because of health issues. But you have to prove you meet Social Security’s requirements:

  • Your health problems are severe and stop you from working your current or most recent job.
  • You couldn’t change jobs, either, due to your health—but also your age.
  • Your work-stopping medical issues will last at least 12 months or are serious enough to last the rest of your life.

When you apply for disability benefits after age 50, the easier part—compared to when you’re younger—is convincing Social Security that you’re unable to switch to different, less demanding jobs.

But it’s still hard to sway the Social Security Administration (SSA) because you need hard proof of how debilitating your health problems are and why you can’t work.

You don’t have to try this on your own. Work with the Ohio disability lawyers at Horenstein, Nicholson & Blumenthal (HNB) who know what Social Security looks for in disability claims.

The disability lawyers at HNB have won millions in benefits for our clients.

There’s no cost if you just want to talk to us about your options. You don’t pay an attorney fee until you win benefits.

If you’re over 50 and considering Social Security Disability benefits, talk to our team.

And if you have a long-term disability insurance policy through your job, and it’s proving difficult to get them to approve your claim, we can help you maximize your benefits there, too.

Join our clients across Ohio who say, “Helping me, that’s HNB.”

Discuss Your Case

    How Does My Age Matter When Applying for Social Security Disability?

    When you apply for disability benefits, the SSA will look for any job that you could still do.

    That makes qualifying for Social Security Disability benefits difficult.

    But Social Security does acknowledge that transitioning to a new type of job becomes more difficult as you get older.

    A younger person might be able to bounce back and change careers, but someone in their 50s or 60s could struggle at that.

    Social Security breaks down disability applicants into four age groups:

    Age 18-49 “younger individuals”
    Age 50-54 “closely approaching advanced age”
    Age 55-59 “advanced age”
    Age 60-64 “closely approaching retirement age”
    Age 65+ convert to retirement benefits

    It gets easier to meet the SSA’s requirements at age 50, easier again at age 55 and once more at age 60, but it still can be a challenge to make a convincing case for benefits.

    Your age isn’t the only consideration. Your work skills, education and current capabilities at everyday tasks shape whether you win disability benefits.

    Some people call this part of the process—where your age factors in—the “grid rules,” because Social Security puts your age and these other factors into a kind of grid to decide whether you should, or should not, be awarded benefits.

    These rules are also called the “medical-vocational guidelines.” Grid rules and medical-vocational guidelines are terms you’re likely to come across during your disability claim.

    Let the HNB Ohio disability lawyers help you strengthen your case. We’ll work with you from the very beginning of the process and through appeals.

    Get started with a FREE case evaluation.

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    How an Ohio Disability Lawyer Can Help

    Instead of applying on your own, get an Ohio disability attorney to help you.

    The HNB Law team will assist you with each step of the process:

    Step #1: Helping you figure out which benefits you qualify for

    Social Security runs two disability benefits programs—Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

    SSDI is for people who have worked and paid into Social Security. If you qualify, you receive monthly checks and can enroll in Medicare after a waiting period but well before the usual age for Medicare.

    SSI is a need-based program. Even if you haven’t worked much and earned enough “work credits” for SSDI, you can get SSI payments as long as you have limited financial resources. If you qualify for SSI, you can also enroll in Medicaid.

    Step #2: Gathering evidence to strengthen your claim

    Concrete evidence from sources other than just yourself can make your disability claim more convincing.

    Telling Social Security about your debilitating symptoms is important, but having evidence like your doctor’s assessment of your capabilities, records of your treatments and the results of medical tests is even better.

    Step #3: Filling out application forms

    Applying for Social Security Disability requires a lot of paperwork. It’s easy to make mistakes or leave out information when you fill out pages of forms.

    We’ll help you avoid common application errors, so you don’t face unnecessary delays.

    Step #4: Supporting your appeal if your claim gets denied

    Even if you do everything as well as you can, you could still be denied disability benefits. Only around 35% to 40% of initial disability claims get approved, as seen in Social Security statistics.

    If your claim is denied, you have to respond to Social Security within 60 days. Wait too long, and you may have to start your application for benefits over.

    The Ohio disability lawyers of Horenstein, Nicholson & Blumenthal can keep your claim on track. We’ll help you understand why you were denied and help you make a stronger case on appeal.

    If you need to fight for your benefits at a disability hearing, we’ll help you prepare, represent you in front of the judge and cross-examine experts sent by the SSA.

    It’s a good idea to ask for assistance with this process. And it’s little risk since you don’t pay up front to get an experienced disability attorney working on your claim.

    The HNB team has helped thousands of people in Cleveland, Dayton, Cincinnati, Columbus and across the state of Ohio win monthly benefits and health care coverage that made a difference in their lives.

    If you’ve put in years of hard work, you’re over 50 and facing health challenges, and you’re ready to apply for SSDI or SSI, we want to help you.

    Contact Us Today.

    Frequently Asked Questions About Applying for Disability Over 50

    The Social Security Disability system is confusing, but our Ohio disability lawyers are prepared to answer your questions about applying for benefits over 50.

    Schedule a free consultation to tell us more about your situation. Look below for answers to some of the top questions people often have about Social Security Disability after 50.

    Is qualifying for Social Security Disability easier after age 50?

    Social Security does consider your age when you apply for benefits, so it can be easier to get approved for disability benefits after age 50.

    Getting approved can still be a challenge. You have to show that your health stops you from working any job at all, and that’s a high bar to clear.

    The HNB disability attorneys can help you make your case.

    What kinds of disability benefits can I apply for over 50?

    Social Security runs two disability benefits programs for adults of any age. You need to prove debilitating health problems the same way for both.

    Which one you qualify for depends largely on your work history and the financial resources available to you.

    Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is for people who worked and spent years paying into the Social Security system, which could be you when you’re over 50.

    Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is need-based, not based on your work history. You can qualify as long as you meet strict requirements for how much you have in financial assets.

    Why would you apply for SSDI instead of taking early retirement?

    Taking early retirement from Social Security reduces how much you receive in benefits.

    If you’ve worked and paid into Social Security, SSDI benefits can help you maintain your financial independence while you wait for full retirement age.

    Once you reach that age, your disability benefits become retirement benefits.

    Can I work a small amount while on disability?

    You can work a small amount when receiving SSI or SSDI benefits, no matter your age.

    You need to be careful that your earnings don’t exceed Social Security’s substantial gainful activity, or SGA, threshold.

    SGA is a limit on how much you can earn from working each month and still qualify for disability benefits. The exact number changes from year to year.

    If you make more than the limit in the year you’re seeking benefits, the SSA might think you can work more and support yourself, so you don’t need benefits.

    The Ohio Social Security Disability lawyers from HNB can help you steer around the obstacles in the way of securing benefits.

    Can I get Social Security Disability along with workers’ compensation or personal injury payment?

    You can. Sometimes an injury on the job, in a car accident or another dangerous situation leaves you with long-term damage to your health, qualifying you for disability benefits.

    Or you realize when you are seeking disability benefits that something else that happened to you could be a separate legal claim.

    You could collect workers’ compensation or a personal injury settlement in addition to disability.

    Other forms of compensation can affect how much you get from Social Security Disability or which disability benefit program you qualify for financially.

    The Ohio attorneys at HNB help with each of these kinds of cases. We can talk to you about what happens when you have more than one claim.

    We want to see you maximizing all forms of compensation available to achieve financial relief and greater peace.

    Get Help From HNB.