Many groups and organizations like to label certain months as a specific time period in the year to honor particular groups of people or raise awareness of certain issues. For instance, by now many of our Los Angeles readers have come to expect heightened attention in February on the contributions and accomplishments of African Americans in our society, during what has become known as “Black History Month.” However, many people may not know that the current month of May is “Older Americans Month.”
There is much to celebrate when it comes to a similar acknowledgment of the contribution and accomplishments of older members of American society. There are even some who are still living who are part of what is known as the “Greatest Generation” – a lofty title indeed, but well deserved. But one issue that probably isn’t discussed enough is the interaction between older Americans and the Social Security Administration – and particularly the evaluation process when it comes to determining disability.
While most of our readers probably associate the interaction between these two groups as one that is focused on retirement benefits, the fact is that many older Americans have to apply for Social Security Disability benefits prior to retirement due to physical and mental disabilities. SSD information, however, is not as prevalent as information about retirement benefits.
There are certain requirements that must be met for a Los Angeles resident to qualify for Social Security Disability benefits. Although the requirements can seem to set a high bar, older Americans should not let this dissuade them from applying for benefits if they are indeed suffering from a physical or mental disability and are unable to continue working.
Source: The Palm Beach Post, “SOCIAL SECURITY: May is Older Americans Month,” Maria Diaz, May 15, 2014
