Claimants Who Are Aged 55
When using the grid rules, the SSA categorizes claimants who are aged 55-59 as “advanced age.” The SSA has specific rules for those who are in this age group. The grid is divided into tables based exertional levels that is, what level of work an applicant’s RFC states that the applicant can do. The different RFC levels are for work at the following levels:
- sedentary
- heavy, and
- very heavy.
Please read our overview article on using the grids to learn what, besides age and RFC level, the grids take into account to make a determination in your case.
Information You Need To Apply
Before applying, be ready to provide information about yourself, your medical condition, and your work. We recommend you print and review the . It will help you gather the information you need to complete the application.
Information About You
- Your date and place of birth and Social Security number.
- The name, Social Security number, and date of birth or age of your current spouse and any former spouse. You should also know the dates and places of marriage and dates of divorce or death .
- Names and dates of birth of children not yet 18 years of age.
- Your bank or other and the account number.
Information About Your Medical Condition
- Name, address, and phone number of someone we can contact who knows about your medical conditions and can help with your application.
- Detailed information about your medical illnesses, injuries, or conditions:
- Names, addresses, phone numbers, patient ID numbers, and dates of treatment for all doctors, hospitals, and clinics.
- Names of medicines you are taking and who prescribed them.
- Names and dates of medical tests you have had and who ordered them.
Information About Your Work:
- Award letters, pay stubs, settlement agreements, or other .
We accept photocopies of W-2 forms, self-employment tax returns, or medical documents, but we must see the original of most other documents, such as your birth certificate.
Do not delay applying for benefits because you do not have all the documents. We will help you get them.
Your Guide To Social Security Disability Video Hearings
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If you are getting ready for a hearing before an administrative law judge, Social Security offers an efficient method using new technologyâvideo hearings. With video hearings, we can make the hearing more convenient for you. Often an appearance by video hearing can be scheduled faster than an in-person appearance.
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How Much Can A Child Receive In Ssi Benefits
In general, payment amounts differ from state to state because some states contribute to the benefits payment. In New Jersey in 2022, those who qualify for SSI may get up to $872.25 in monthly benefits in addition to Medicaid coverage. It is important to note, however, that if your child is in a medical facility and health insurance covers their care, the monthly SSI payment is limited to $30.
How Does Copd Qualify For Disability Benefits
Social Security publishes a disability “listing” that lays out the requirements for getting automatically approved for disability for various chronic respiratory disorders, including COPD. If you meet the requirements of this listing, you automatically qualify for benefits.
If your condition isn’t severe enough to meet the requirements of the official listing, you may still be able to prove that your moderate COPD reduces your capacity to breathe and exert yourself so much that you can’t work at any type of job.
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Where To Apply: Ssa Offices By Region
In addition to its national headquarters in Woodlawn, Maryland, the Social Security Administration operates 10 regional offices overseeing 1300 field offices and 37 tele-service centers.
For detailed information on these regional offices and the areas that they service, please complete the above free evaluation to contact a lawyer or advocate practicing in your area.
Ssdi Benefits For Disabled Adult Children
Adult disability benefits are an extension of the dependent benefits discussed above. Young adults who are already disabled as of their 18th birthday, or who become disabled before they turn 22, can continue to receive Social Security dependents benefits as long as they remain disabled.
Like SSI, the following definition of disability applies to all applicants:
- The child must be suffering from a medical condition or combination of conditions that significantly limit their activities.
- The condition must have lasted for at least 12 months, be predicted to last at least a year, or end in death.
It is possible for young adults who become disabled after age 22 to collect SSDI on the strength of their own earning record. While young adults with disabilities have to have some work history to be eligible for SSDI, they require fewer credits to qualify.
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Apply Using A Paper Application
If you are applying by paper, you must complete 1 of the following forms that applies to your situation:
Please mail the form to us or drop it off at a Service Canada office.
Information on completing the application form
- Read all instructions, which include steps for completing your application, changes that may affect your benefits, an address page, a checklist and other information about disability benefits
- Write/type your Social Insurance Number at the top of each page in the form and sign all areas that require your signature
- If you are a parent or guardian, you can request the child-rearing provision and the children’s benefit
- If you are unable to fill out the forms, a family member or a friend can help you. Make sure that you sign where necessary
- Keep photocopies of everything you submit. If you call us, write down the name of the person you speak to and the date and time of your conversation. Keep all the information in one place
If someone is helping you with your application
You must provide consent for someone to help you with your application. You can do this 2 ways:
This does not give the person helping you authority to:
- submit your application
- apply for benefits on your behalf
- change your payment address
- request or change the withholding of tax for you
If you need to apply or act on someone’s behalf
If someone cannot manage their own affairs, another person or agency may act on their behalf.
Gather All Documents That Will Be Attached To Your Application
Here are the general documents that you need to provide when filing:
- Your original birth certificate. If this is not possible, any other kind of evidence of birth will suffice.
- Individuals who were not born in the United States are required to show proof of US citizenship or legal permanent residence status.
- If you were discharged from military service before 1968, you must provide discharge paper/s to support it.
- W-2 forms and/or self-employment tax returns from the previous year
- Medical evidence demonstrating your conditions diagnosis. This may include doctors reports, laboratory test results, x-ray scans, or other medical records that clearly establish the condition.
- Any proof demonstrating that you obtained any temporary or permanent workers compensation benefits.
Please keep in mind that you must supply the original copy of all documents as much as possible since there are some that the SSA requires to see the original copy, like your birth certificate.
Furthermore, the SSA has the authority to request an additional proof in order to confirm your eligibility.
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Submit Your Application Form
Complete your application form as soon as possible. Do not wait for your doctor or nurse practitioner to complete the medical report or medical attestation form before sending your completed application to us.
There are 2 ways to apply. Decide how you want to submit your application form for more information on that process:
Special Rules For People Who Are Blind Or Have Low Vision
We consider you to be legally blind under Social Security rules if your vision cannot be corrected to better than 20/200 in your better eye. We will also consider you legally blind if your visual field is 20 degrees or less, even with a corrective lens. Many people who meet the legal definition of blindness still have some sight and may be able to read large print and get around without a cane or a guide dog.
If you do not meet the legal definition of blindness, you may still qualify for disability benefits. This may be the case if your vision problems alone or combined with other health problems prevent you from working.
There are several special rules for people who are blind that recognize the severe impact of blindness on a person’s ability to work. For example, the monthly earnings limit for people who are blind is generally higher than the limit that applies to non-blind workers with disabilities.
In 2022, the monthly earnings limit is $2,260.
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What Do I Need To Know About Advance Designation
You should be aware of another type of representation called Advance Designation. This relates to the Strengthening Protections for Social Security Beneficiaries Act of 2018, which was signed into law on April 13, 2018.
Advance Designation allows capable adult and emancipated minor applicants and beneficiaries of Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, and Special Veterans Benefits to choose one or more individuals to serve as their representative payee in the future, if the need arises.
To help protect whats important to you, we now offer the option to choose a representative payee in advance. In the event that you can no longer make your own decisions, you and your family will have peace of mind knowing you already chose someone you trust to manage your benefits. If you need a representative payee to assist with the management of your benefits, we will first consider your advance designees, but we must still fully evaluate them and determine their suitability at that time.
You can submit your advance designation request when you apply for benefits or after you are already receiving benefits. You may do so through your personal account, by telephone, or in person.
Who Is A Disability Representative
A disability representative is anyone legally permitted to represent you in a disability claim. The representative can be a family member, lawyer, paralegal, or any other legal professional specializing in Social Security Disability cases.
Most people seek disability lawyers to represent them in their social security disability claims. There are many benefits of hiring an attorney to handle such claims compared to other professionals in this field. Here’s why it’s always advisable to speak to a disability attorney.
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Tip : File A Social Security Disability Application
There are two ways to apply for disability benefits:
To apply locally, use the SSAs office locator to find information on your nearest office, or call 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern time. Youll be able to set up an appointment to either file a claim at your Social Security office or to file a claim by phone. The office will send you a Disability Starter Kit to help you prepare for the appointment.
Those deaf or hard of hearing can call its TTY number at 1-800-325-0778.
Legal Representation In Court
We mentioned earlier that a disability representative could be anyone appointed by you. You only need to notify the SSA about the appointment. However, although you can appoint any eligible individual, including your favorite uncle, such decisions may prove costly in the long run.
Since the approval rate for initial applications for social security disability benefits is usually lower than the rejection rate, it is important that you work with the right individuals right from the beginning.
Here’s what could happen if you appoint just anyone to represent you in your petition for social security disability benefits.
Suppose you hire just any family member to handle all your social security disability application processes. In that case, there’s always a possibility that they’re not familiar with the process. And if they are, it’s unlikely that they’re prepared for when things get complicated.
For example, if the initial application is rejected, which is very likely, the representative will have to file an appeal. But this does not mean repeating the whole process while expecting different results. Instead, it requires careful planning, knowledge of existing laws, powerful legal resources to help obtain the required proof of disability, and so much more. Don’t forget that you must meet certain deadlines, and even worse, the waiting times are usually too long – sometimes, it can take up to a year to be approved.
Now here’s the most challenging part.
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How To Apply For Disability
You can submit your initial stage application for Social Security benefits to the SSA online, over the phone, or in person at your local SSA office.
Unfortunately, due to the tremendous volume of applications received by the SSA, denial rates at this stage of application are well over 60%.
It is therefore advisable to familiarize yourself with the entire application process, organize medical records and other paperwork, and possibly even contact an attorney or disability advocate before submitting your initial application.
For information on how to apply for Social Security, complete a free evaluation above.
Information On Completing The Medical Form
In addition to your application, you need a medical form completed by your doctor or nurse practitioner. It is very important that you:
- complete Sections 1 and 2 of the Medical Report / Terminal Illness Medical Attestation form before you give it to your doctor or nurse practitioner
- do not wait for your doctor or nurse practitioner to complete the medical report or medical attestation forms before sending your completed application to us
- if you are currently receiving a disability benefit from an insurance company or a provincial/territorial agency, you can ask them to send us your most current medical records instead of the medical report form
We will pay your health care professional up to $85 for completing your medical form. Should they charge more than $85, you are responsible for covering any extra costs.
Learn how we protect your privacy.
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Benefits For Widows Or Widowers With Disabilities
If something happens to a worker, benefits may be payable to their widow, widower, or surviving divorced spouse with a disability if the following conditions are met:
- The widow, widower, or surviving divorced spouse is between ages 50 and 60.
- The widow, widower, or surviving divorced spouse has a medical condition that meets our definition of disability for adults and the disability started before or within seven years of the worker’s death.
Widows, widowers, and surviving divorced spouses cannot apply online for survivors benefits. If they want to apply for these benefits, they should contact Social Security immediately at 1-800-772-1213 to request an appointment
To speed up the application process, complete an Adult Disability Report and have it available at the time of your appointment.
We use the same definition of disability for widows and widowers as we do for workers.
Ask Bob: Should I File For Social Security Or Disability
A Retirement Daily reader has a question about whether or not her husband should file for Social Security disability benefits or regular Social Security benefits.
Question
You said to send questions your way, so here is one that I am at a loss as to how to deal with because I’ve read conflicting information and my husband is no help and it’s about his Social Security. He has been eligible for Social Security disability for years and he turned 65 in February 2021 and of course he never filed for it because he’s stubborn and foolish. He is one quarter short of being eligible for Social Security. What should he do or is it too late for him to do anything at this point besides hope for spousal benefits from my social security?
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Do You Qualify For Disability
The first step in the Social Security application process is determining whether you are eligible to apply for SSDI or SSI benefits based on the qualification criteria and strict definition of disability provided by the SSA.
For detailed information on eligibility requirements and SSA definitions of disability, please complete the free disability evaluation above.
Obtaining Your Disability File
The Social Security Administration now keeps all disability files in electronic format, but Social Security representatives have the authority to copy appropriate disability information in your file to a CD-ROM for you. Call your local Social Security field office to request your file in some instances, you might even be able to persuade a representative to mail you a copy rather than requiring you to pick it up. If you can’t use a CD-ROM, you may need to pay to have your file printed for you.
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You May Qualify For Legal Assistance
Every disability claim is unique, and the lawyers in our network can answer your questions for free by phone. Having a lawyer file your claim paperwork nearly triples your odds for disability approval. Those who qualify for legal assistance through this website typically get $12,000 in lump-sum back pay, plus monthly benefits. All disability lawyers work on contingency, so youll pay $0 for legal assistance unless the SSA awards you benefits. And if approved, then youll only pay a small, one-time fee.
Ready to see if you may qualify? Click the button below to start your free disability benefits evaluation now!