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Could changes in SSDI make it harder for older workers to get benefits?

On Behalf of | Jan 4, 2021 | Social Security Administration News

Getting an approval for your application for Social Security Disability benefits is not always easy. In fact, many people who apply for benefits get a denial the first time.

According to The Hill, there is a proposal that could make it even more difficult for older individuals to qualify for SSDI.

The issue

The Social Security Administration has to consider age when determining whether a person meets its definition of disability. The law recognizes that older individuals may have a harder time securing employment in general than younger workers, especially if they have a medical condition that limits their abilities.

The problem is the new changes would remove this consideration. The SSA could no longer consider the difficulties older workers have securing employment.

The solution

The SSA’s proposal says that there is no need to consider it more difficult for older workers to find employment so this consideration is out of date. The SSA says that older workers can easily find jobs in the modern market.

The protection

You have some protection against an unreasonable SSA rejection. For example, if the SSA says it rejects your application because you can find a job, it must tell you what jobs for which you would qualify. It has to give examples.

Many times, though, even these rejections are unfair and the suggested jobs are unreasonable. A good example is that the SSA often says a person could work as an addresser, which is someone who addresses envelopes by hand or typewriter.

So, even though there is protection in place against denials without explanation, you will find the explanations do not always make sense. Furthermore, if the SSA gets its way, many older individuals will find a much harder time getting benefits approved because the SSA can continue to offer even more unreasonable employment suggestions.

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