How does turning 50 years old impact your chances for Social Security Disability Benefits?
The SSA grid rules start coming into play the day you turn 50 years of age. These rules make it easier for a 50-year-old to be found disabled than it is for a 49-year-old. The grid rules permit many people age 50 or above who are capable of sedentary work to be found disabled whereas that same person, age 49, would not be found disabled.
The SSA grids were put into place by Congress because it recognized that the older you are the more difficult it is to adjust to new work and/or develop new skills.Essentially, if you are unable to do your past work and are limited to performing work at the sedentary level, you win at age 50 if you lack skills that transfer to work that you are capable of performing.
SSDI Over 50
Again, once you hit the age of 50 it becomes easier to be found disabled pursuant to the rules and regulations of Social Security Disability law. The reason it is easier is due to a thing we call the Grid rules. The grid rules were put into place by Congress because it recognized that the older you are the more difficult it is to adjust to new work and/or develop new skills.
SSA-Defined Exertion Level for SSDI Consideration
Exertional Level | Sitting | Standing | Lifting |
---|---|---|---|
Sedentary | 6 hours | 2 hours | 10lbs occasionally |
Light | 2 hours | 6 hours | 20lbs occasionally |
Medium | 2 hours | 6 hours | 50lbs occasionally |
Heavy | 2 hours | 6 hours | 100lbs occasionally |
Very Heavy | 2 hours | 6 hours | Over 100lbs |
How to Determine if Grid Rules Will Apply to Me
- The first step is to locate the table under the exertional level that you are capable of performing.
- Then you need to locate the row that correctly identifies your education level.
- The next column requires a definition of your past work. Past work is work that you have done over the last 15 years. Work is defined in the Dictionary of Occupational Titles by exertional level and skill level. The question about whether or not you have transferable skills is one that is typically answered by a vocation expert (“VE”) at a disability hearing. Your lawyer should be familiar enough with the dictionary to give you an approximation of what a VE might say at your hearing.
- The final column tells you whether or not an Administrative Law Judge would be required to award benefits.
Download our Social Security Application Checklist to ensure you are meeting deadlines and know crucial details for the best chance at a successful application.
Grid Rules Example
Example: Scenario: Claimant is 51 years old, capable of performing sit-down work (sedentary exertional level), is a high school graduate and has past work at McDonald’s.
Step 1:
Locate the table under sedentary work.
Step 2:
Find the three rows for high school graduates.
Step 3:
I googled ‘dictionary of occupational titles fast food worker’ and found a job actually titled FAST-FOODS WORKER.
If you click on that link, you’ll see at the bottom in bold that the strength of this job is “L” and the SVP of this job is “2”.(SVP 1-2 is unskilled; 3-4 is semi-skilled; 5 and up is skilled work).
Step 4:
Note that the 4th row in the sedentary table has the same education and work experience as our example and warrants a finding of disabled.
Decision: Under these facts, the claimant would be found disabled.
Sedentary Grid Rules: Code Of Federal Regulations
Education | Skill Level | Decision |
---|---|---|
Completed 11 grade or less | Unskilled work or no work | Disabled |
Completed 11 grade or less | Skilled or semiskilled work but skills are not transferable | Disabled |
Completed 11 grade or less | Skilled or semiskilled work with transferable skills | Not disabled |
High school graduate (or GED) or higher | Unskilled work or no work | Disabled |
High school graduate (or GED) or higher | Skilled or semiskilled work but skills not transferable | Disabled |
High school graduate (or GED) or higher | Skilled or semiskilled work with transferable skills | Not disabled |
Recent education that provides for direct entry into skilled work (high school graduate or more) | Unskilled work or no work | Not disabled |
Recent education that provides for direct entry into skilled work (high school graduate or higher) | Skilled or semiskilled work, whether skills are transferable or not | Not disabled |
Light Grid Rules: Code Of Federal Regulations
Education | Skill Level | Decision |
---|---|---|
Illiterate | Unskilled work or no work | Disabled |
Completed 11 grade or less | Unskilled work or no work | Not disabled |
Completed 11 grade or less | Skilled or semiskilled work but skills not transferable | Not disabled |
Completed 11 grade or less | Skilled or semiskilled work with transferable skills | Not disabled |
High school graduate or higher | Unskilled work or no work | Not disabled |
High school graduate or higher | Skilled or semiskilled work but skills not transferable | Not disabled |
High school graduate or higher | Skilled or semiskilled with transferable skills | Not disabled |
Medium Grid Rule: Code Of Federal Regulations
Education | Skill Level | Decision |
---|---|---|
Completed 11 grade or less | Unskilled work or no work | Not disabled |
Completed 11 grade or less | Skilled or semiskilled work but skills not transferable | Not disabled |
Completed 11 grade or less | Skilled or semiskilled work with transferable skills | Not disabled |
High school graduate or higher | Unskilled work or no work | Not disabled |
High school graduate or higher | Skilled or semiskilled work but skills not transferable | Not disabled |
High school graduate or higher | Skilled or semiskilled work with transferable skills | Not disabled |
Recent education that provides for direct entry into skilled work (high school graduate or higher) | Skilled or semiskilled work whether or not skills are transferable | Not disabled |
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