Social Security Disability After Age 50

Can Age Impact a Texas Disability Claim?

If you’re applying for Social Security Disability after age 50, your age can be an important factor in your disability claim. That doesn’t mean getting benefits will be automatic or easy.

This is how it works: The Social Security Administration (SSA) has a set of “medical-vocational guidelines,” often referred to as “the grid rules,” that they use in awarding disability benefits.

The grid factors in your age, education, work experience and physical abilities and limitations.

If you’re over 50 and health problems stopped you from working, age may work in your favor when you’re trying to win a disability claim. But getting benefits can still be a struggle. You have to put in the work to build a compelling claim.

This process is intimidating. Getting denied is the standard experience. But the Texas disability lawyers at Morgan Weisbrod have been helping Texans protect their financial stability for more than 50 years.

Our Dallas disability lawyers can tell you more about Social Security Disability rules after age 50 and what goes into a successful claim.

Morgan Weisbrod is one of the top disability firms in Texas measured by the amount of benefits we win for our clients.

Schedule your free, no-obligation consultation and see how we could help you fight for the disability benefits you deserve.

Applying for Social Security After the Age of 50

When you apply for disability after age 50, or any age, you need to be able to show three things:

You can’t work due to your health problems.
You are unable to switch to a different kind of job.
Your job-stopping health problems will last a year or more.

A Social Security claims examiner doesn’t just want to know about your medical condition, though your specific health issues and how they affect you every day are core parts of your case.

Social Security will also look at your education level, what kinds of skills you used in your career, how your medical issues interfere with those skills, and whether you have training or skills that would be transferable to another job.

They will also assess your residual functional capacity, or RFC. This is a measure of your basic physical and mental abilities that Social Security uses to evaluate your health and determine what kind of work you could be capable of doing.

Depending on your health issues, your RFC could say you can still do sedentary work, light work, medium work or heavy work. The more you can work, the more likely you’ll be denied disability benefits.

Finally, Social Security’s grid rules consider your age. Applicants later in their working years are divided into three groups:

Age 50-54: Closely approaching advanced age

Age 55-59: Advanced age

Age 60 and older: Closely approaching retirement age

This is Social Security’s way of acknowledging that people in different age groups could face different challenges when trying to stay in the workforce despite health limitations.

If there are two applicants with similar skills, education, and RFCs, but one is in their 50s and the other is in their 30s, the older applicant will likely have a higher chance of winning benefits.

Even if both applicants must leave their current or most recent jobs because of their health, Social Security will expect the younger person to be more able to find other ways to support themselves.

It’s still tough to qualify for disability benefits, but when you’re over 50, the SSA takes into account your age and how difficult it might be to change jobs or learn new skills.

In your disability application, you and your disability attorney need to make it clear how your background, skills, health problems and age mix to leave you unable to work in any capacity.

Why Should I Apply for Disability After Age 50?

If this process is so difficult and getting benefits takes so much work, is it worth it to apply if you’re 50 or older?

Why not just wait a few years and take early retirement benefits from Social Security?

We understand the question, but taking retirement early can drastically reduce how much you end up receiving in benefits.

If you can qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), these monthly payments can help you pay your bills and live with a degree of independence without jeopardizing future retirement benefits.

You worked your whole life and paid into this system. If your health stops you from working, our Texas disability lawyers want to help you get the benefits you deserve.

See why you should work with our Dallas disability law firm.

How a Dallas Disability Lawyer Can Help

Successfully applying for SSDI or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is always going to be difficult. The SSA has high standards, and every applicant needs to meet them, regardless of age.

This is where our Texas disability lawyers help. The attorneys of Morgan Weisbrod know this system well, and we know what Social Security looks for in a disability claim.

We’ve helped thousands of people in Dallas, Arlington, Tyler, Irving, Fort Worth, and across Texas navigate this process and win the benefits they deserve.

We can support you every step of the way. Your lawyer can:

Help you figure out which benefits you can qualify for
Take the time to really understand your situation and your disability claim
Help you fill out application forms completely and correctly
Make sure that you’re avoiding common mistakes that could result in delays or denials
Answer questions you have at any stage of this process
Assist you with your appeal if your claim gets denied
Represent you at a disability hearing in front of an administrative law judge
Cross-examine expert witnesses at your hearing
Ask the Social Security Appeals Council to review your case, if necessary
File your appeal in Federal District Court, if needed