The Rules of Social Security Disability After Age 55

After age 55, the Social Security Administration (SSA) uses specific rules, including the “grid rules,” to determine disability eligibility. These rules consider age, education, work experience, and the ability to perform work-related activities despite limitations, recognizing it may be more difficult for older workers to adapt to new work. The SSA may also consider a reduced residual functional capacity (RFC) requirement, meaning they may assess an individual’s ability to perform work-related activities more leniently than for younger applicants. 

Advanced Age Category

Individuals aged 55 and older are considered “advanced age” by the SSA, which The Social Security Administration (SSA) uses Medical-Vocational Guidelines, also known as “Grids,” to assess disability claims, particularly for those aged 50 and older. These guidelines consider an individual’s age, education, work experience, and the severity of their medical impairments to determine if they can still perform substantial gainful activity. For older workers, age, education, and work history are significant factors in determining their ability to adjust to other work. means their ability to adjust to new work is considered significantly affected. 

Key Aspects of Medical-Vocational Guidelines for Older Workers

The Social Security Administration recognizes that age can have significant impact on the individual’s ability to adjust to new work, especially as people age. The SSA assesses what an individual can still do physically and mentally, considering their impairments. The SSA evaluates an individual’s past work experience and education to determine their ability to adapt to new work. The SSA considers whether an individual can return to their past work or if their impairments prevent them from doing so. 

1. Age – Age is one of the main factors included in the GRID rules. Younger individuals (18 through 49) generally have a higher likelihood of successfully adjusting to a new form of employment. Individuals who are closely approaching advanced age (50 through 54), who are considered advanced age (55 through 59), and who are closely approaching retirement age (60 and older), are thought to be less likely to adjust to new types of work. As long as you are 50 years old or older and unable to work, you may qualify for benefits under the GRID rules.
2. Education Level – The SSA assumes that there is a connection between education level and the ability to possess transferable skills. Generally, the higher a person’s education level, the more likely they are to have skilled work experience. Based on your history, you will be placed into one of four education categories:

• Illiterate: Unable to read or write.
• Marginal education: Basic ability to read, write, and reason, with education up to grade six.
• Limited education: Higher ability to read, write, and reason, with education up to grade eleven.
• High school education and above: Completed education up to at least grade twelve or has earned a GED.

3. Past Work History – When reviewing your work experience, the SSA will look at all of the full-time work that you have done over the past five years. The work must have lasted long enough for you to learn how to perform all key job activities, and must have been completed at the Substantial Gainful Activity level.
4. Residual Functional Capacity – defined as a person’s remaining ability to complete work and perform normal job activities on a regular basis, despite physical and/or mental impairments. The SSA will review objective medical evidence provided by your doctor in order to assess your ability to perform job-related activities such as walking, standing, lifting, and carrying. Based on your residual functional capacity, you will be placed into one of five categories:

• Sedentary work
• Light work
• Medium work
• Heavy work
• Very heavy work

Generally, it is more difficult to get approved for benefits if you are able to complete heavy work or very heavy work. In these situations, the SSA may assume that you can work at any exertion level and therefore determine that your physical or mental impairments do not prevent you from performing basic job activities.

5. Capacity for Other Work – if this person has skills that could be used for work within their capacity and that exists in significant numbers in the national economy, SSA would decide this person does not have a disability.

The GRID rules acknowledge that it is often more difficult for older workers to compete in the job market. The GRID rules are applied more favorably to claimants aged 50 and older, reflecting the fact that younger individuals may be better able to adjust to new work. After the age of 50, physical and/or mental impairment will likely make it much more difficult to adapt to other forms of work. 

At age 55, it is likely to be even more difficult to adapt to other forms of work. This trend continues as you age. Not only are the GRID rules more forgiving for older individuals, but special Medical Vocational Guidelines have been put into place to account for individuals who are limited to light and sedentary work as a result of their ailments. For those 55 and older, the SSA may focus on whether they can adjust to other work, and they may be less likely to be expected to retrain for new jobs. The SSA may also consider whether a claimant’s impairments prevent them from working at all, or if they can only work at a reduced level. 

Continuing Disability Reviews After Age 55

The frequency of continuing disability reviews decreases after 55. However, the Social Security disability review process remains similar. You’ll receive a notice from the SSA to complete a Disability Update Report (Form SSA-455) , a short questionnaire.

You might also receive a more detailed Continuing Disability Review Report (Form SSA-454-BK) . The SSA will determine if your condition has changed and whether you can do any work. When completing the SSA forms, be thorough and accurate. This helps the SSA assess how your condition impacts your ability to work. Thorough documentation is particularly crucial when navigating continuing disability reviews, where the focus is on assessing medical improvement and its impact on your ability to engage in substantial gainful activity. Maintaining accurate records related to your medical condition is essential for supporting your claim throughout the process. This careful record-keeping helps establish the consistency and severity of your disability, which is a key factor in determining your eligibility for benefits.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) does stop regular reviews of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits once you reach retirement age, which is currently 66 or 67, depending on your birth year. However, if you are already receiving SSDI benefits at age 65, you will continue to receive those benefits without further reviews.When you reach your full retirement age (66 or 67), your SSDI benefits will automatically convert to Social Security retirement benefits. This means you’ll receive the same amount of benefits, but the program will change from SSDI to Social Security retirement.  If you were born before 1937, your SSDI benefits would change to retirement benefits at age 65.

At Benefits.com, we are here to help you navigate the process and receive the benefits you deserve. Begin today by taking our free eligibility quiz.