Congratulations on reaching age 50 and beyond! Recognizing the years of hard work you’ve put in over decades so far, the Social Security Administration has established special rules that help individuals 50 or older qualify more easily for Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI.
Rob Levine Law is dedicated to helping clients get approved for the benefits they deserve. On this page, our experienced Social Security Disability lawyers explain the rules governing eligibility for benefits after age 50. If you need further assistance with applying for benefits, contact us online today.
How Does Reaching Age 50 Impact Your SSDI Application?
Your age can significantly influence how the SSA evaluates your SSDI claim. If you’re under 50, the SSA expects that you may be able to adjust to another line of work, including sedentary and unskilled jobs.
However, those aged 50 to 54 are considered to be approaching advanced age and can receive approval for disability benefits if reasonably similar work isn’t available. Applicants aged 55 or over receive more favorable consideration in most circumstances.
What Are the Grid Rules for Social Security Disability?
To determine an applicant’s eligibility for Social Security Disability benefits, the SSA will often consult medical-vocational guidelines—or the “grids rules”—to quickly evaluate how different factors apply. The variables considered under the grid rules include the following:
- Age
- Work history, including whether the applicant’s previous jobs were skilled or unskilled
- Education level
- “Residual functional capacity,” or the applicant’s ability to perform physical labor
The grid rules analyze whether you’re able to return to your previous job or field, or whether you can potentially adjust to a new line of work. If you meet certain criteria, the grid rules can grant you automatic approval for SSDI benefits. Our experienced Social Security Disability lawyers can help you understand whether you qualify.
How the Grid Rules Work for Social Security Disability Applicants Over 50
Once you reach age 50, the SSA begins to consider whether it’s feasible for you to find meaningful employment. Thus, while the SSA may find that a younger applicant can learn a job in a new field, it will not necessarily have the same expectation for older applicants. This is especially true for those with minimal schooling, a history of physical labor, and a lack of transferable skills that would enable them to work in a less demanding position.
Unless the applicant has just completed educational training that would allow them to perform “skilled sedentary work,” the SSA will likely consider a 55-or-older applicant disabled based on the difficulty they would likely face in finding and maintaining meaningful employment.
Examples of How the Grid Rules Can Help You Qualify for SSDI
The Maine Lobsterman: Age 50+ and Limited to "Sedentary" Work
The Scenario: Thomas is 52 years old, lives near Portland, Maine, and has a high school diploma. For the last 30 years, he worked as a commercial lobsterman, a job the SSA classifies as “Heavy” and “Unskilled” or semi-skilled with non-transferable skills. Due to severe degenerative disc disease in his lower back, Thomas can no longer haul traps or stand on a pitching deck. His doctor determines he is only capable of performing “Sedentary” work.
How the Grid Rules Help: If Thomas were 49, the SSA would likely say he could transition into a sit-down job, like an assembly worker or call center operator, and deny his claim. However, because Thomas is over 50 (categorized as “closely approaching advanced age”) has a high school education, and has no transferable skills to sit-down work, Grid Rule 201.14 directs a finding of “Disabled.” The SSA recognizes that expecting a 52-year-old career fisherman to suddenly learn a completely new sedentary trade is unrealistic.
The Massachusetts Mill Worker: Age 55+ and Limited to "Light" Work
The Scenario: Maria is 56, lives in Fall River, Massachusetts, and completed the 10th grade. She spent her entire adult life operating heavy machinery in a local textile manufacturing plant, work classified as “Medium” and “Unskilled.” After developing severe osteoarthritis in her knees and peripheral neuropathy in her feet, she can no longer carry heavy materials or stand for an eight-hour shift. She is now restricted to “Light” work, which requires some standing and walking but no lifting of more than 20 pounds.
How the Grid Rules Help: At age 56, Maria falls into the “advanced age” category. Because her education is “limited” because she did not graduate high school, and her past work was unskilled, she does not have the educational background or transferable skills to easily pivot to lighter duties. Under Grid Rule 202.01, a person of advanced age with limited education, unskilled past work, and a “Light” Residual Functional Capacity is automatically deemed “Disabled.”
The Vermont Ski Lift Mechanic: Skilled Work with "Non-Transferable" Skills
The Scenario: David is 51 years old and lives near Stowe, Vermont. He has a high school education and worked for decades as a specialized ski lift maintenance mechanic, a highly “Skilled” but physically demanding “Heavy” job. After a severe cardiac event, his doctor restricts him to strictly “Sedentary” work in a climate-controlled environment.
How the Grid Rules Help: David has many skills, which usually make it harder to win a disability claim. However, the vocational expert notes that repairing high-altitude ski lifts requires highly specific, industry-centric mechanical skills that do not transfer to a sedentary desk job such as bookkeeping or administrative work. Under Grid Rule 201.14, because David is over 50, restricted to sedentary work, and possesses highly specialized skills that are completely “non-transferable” to a sit-down environment, he is found “Disabled.”
The Connecticut Aerospace Welder: Approaching Retirement Age (60+)
The Scenario: Richard is 61, lives near Hartford, Connecticut, and is a high school graduate. He has spent 35 years as an aerospace welder for a defense contractor, a “Skilled” job performed at the “Medium-to-Heavy” exertion level. Due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, and tremors in his hands, he can no longer weld safely or be exposed to industrial fumes. The SSA determines he could technically perform “Light” work in a clean-air environment.
How the Grid Rules Help: Because Richard is over 60, he is in the highest age bracket: “closely approaching retirement age.” Even though he has a high school diploma and skilled past work, the SSA applies a very strict standard for transferring skills at this age. Because his welding skills do not smoothly transfer to a “Light” work job without significant vocational adjustment or training, Grid Rule 202.06 directs a finding of “Disabled.” The older you get, the less the SSA expects you to adapt to a new industry.
The Rhode Island Seafood Processor: Age 55+ and Language Barriers
The Scenario: Elena is 57 and lives in Point Judith, Rhode Island. She has worked her whole life sorting and packing seafood on the docks, an “Unskilled” and “Medium” exertion job. Elena grew up overseas, did not complete formal schooling, and cannot communicate fluently in English. Following a severe shoulder injury that didn’t heal properly, she is restricted to “Light” work.
How the Grid Rules Help: The Grid Rules heavily factor in a claimant’s ability to communicate, as literacy and language directly impact one’s ability to learn a new job. Because Elena is over 55, or “advanced age,” unable to communicate in English, and her past work was entirely unskilled, she faces immense barriers to finding a lighter-duty job in a new field. Under Grid Rule 202.09, which accounts for inability to communicate in English alongside advanced age and an unskilled background for Light work, the grid rules dictate a finding of “Disabled.”
How Rob Levine Law’s Social Security Disability Lawyers Can Help You
The Social Security Disability application process can seem daunting, but you don’t need to face all its complexities alone. Rob Levine Law’s experienced attorneys understand the ins and outs of applying for SSDI and are focused on advocating for those who need help securing their well-earned benefits.
We’ve helped over 50,000 people just like you recover over $2 billion in disability benefits and injury compensation. Our team can analyze your circumstances to determine whether your age has automatically qualified you for SSDI, or what you’ll need to do to get a stronger claim across the finish line.
To learn more about what we can do for you, contact us online or call (888) 791-9135 today for a free consultation.
