WHY BEING AGE 50+ HELPS WIN DISABILITY CASES

It's true that age 50 is the sweet spot for disability claims.

That is due to the Medical Vocational Guidelines or "grid rules" that can help older claimants get approved.

The grids combine the following factors to determine a decision:

• Age
• Education
• Past work experience
• Residual Functional Capacity (functional limitations)

Social Security law assumes that an individual who is 50 or older will not adjust to new types of work as easily as a younger individual.  And they make allowances.

A person with the same medical condition and the same functional limitations may not qualify for a benefit at age 49, but may get a benefit at age 50.  That's the difference the grid rules can make.

Let me emphasize, a 55 year-old claimant must still prove disability with medical evidence.  It's just that it's a little easier to prove at 55 than it is at 35.

Another factor that may help the older claimant is work history.  He or she may have a long, steady work background that argues for credibility.  A person who has worked for 30 years or more will be unlikely to give up the work just to get a meager Social Security check.