Your age can be a factor when applying for Social Security Disability. According to the SSA, age alone will not determine the success of your application. At the same time, it can definitely help or hinder your chances, and here are some ways how:

•  SSA considers age in combination with your residual functional capacity (which just means the most you can do despite your physical limitations). They also consider your education and work experience.
•  The older you are, the more SSA sees your age to be a limiting factor in your ability to adjust to new types of work.
•  If you are approaching retirement age (age 55 or older), the SSA assumes that you will have special difficulty adjusting to a new type of work. This can help with your application.
•  The SSA also has special rules for people age 60 and older, since that age group is so close to retirement.
•  If you are younger than 50, the SSA does not consider your age to be a serious factor in how well you can adjust to other work. In other words, if you have to switch to a completely different job due to your injury, SSA assumes you are young enough to deal with that change, however drastic. (There are some exceptions for applicants between 45-49.)
• If you are age 50-54, the SSA may consider you in the same category as people as 55 or older if you: 1) have limited work experience, and 2) face a severe injury that will force you to change your area of work.

Sound complicated? It is. Getting Social Security Disability benefits on your first application is extremely difficult, and most applications are denied. Fortunately, you can appeal, and our Memphis area SSDI attorneys can help you with that process to make sure you get the benefits you need.

Contact our attorneys today to get started on your SSDI appeal.