When filing for Social Security disability benefits, every factor of your personal life comes into play. One important factor that will affect many different aspects of your claim is your age. Knowing how various attributes of your age will affect your application is important to successfully navigating your claim. Finding a qualified disability lawyer in the Cleveland, Ohio area can help you achieve this important task.
Thankfully, a set of vocational guidelines was created within the Social Security Administrations rules and regulations to facilitate a more uniform and effective disability process. These helpful guidelines are often known as the “medical-vocational grid rules.”
One part of these guidelines is your Residential Functional Capacity, or simply RFC. Evaluating this allows the Social Security department to determine your physical limits, which helps them understand your working limits. Depending on the amount of weight you can regularly and occasionally lift/carry, you will be put into one of four physical categories. These categories are as follows: sedentary (no more than 10 pounds), light (no more than 10-20 pounds), and medium (no more than 25-50 pounds, and heavy (more than 50 pounds.)
In addition to your physical capabilities, you will be put into an age category. Those who are 18 to 49 are considered “younger individuals” and anyone 50-54 will be seen as “closely approaching “advanced age”. Anyone older than 54 will be placed in an “advanced age” category. Anyone over age 60 are considered “closely approaching retirement age”
Claimants age 50 and over, unable to do PRW, and limited to sedentary work, will be found disabled. If you are 55 years or older, you are in luck, as the Social Security system is statistically more in favor of you. At this age, an individual is not expected to make any major adjustments to their vocational adjustment, and will not need to perform heavy workloads. If a claimant is limited to light work and age 55 or older, they will be found disabled based on the grid rules. People of over 50 generally have strong cases for disability benefits.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, any person under the age of 50 filing for Social Security benefits will be evaluated in a particular manner. Ultimately, whether or not you have severe impairments, whether your condition meets one of SSA’s listing of impairments, and whether you are able to work on a regular basis, will be the most important factors considered.
Overall, it is of utmost importance that you consult your lawyer about any aspect of your application regarding your age. At Liner Legal, we provide disability lawyer services in the Cleveland, Ohio area. Get in contact with us today to start your path to the benefits you deserve.
