Social Security Birthdays

Posted on January 2, 2008 by Dory Sutker


Birthdays- The upside to being over the hill.

A friend of mine turned 40 a few weeks ago. For months prior to her birthday, she was singing the blues about turning the BIG 4-0. I tried to cheer her up by telling her that 40 was practically the new 20. Not surprisingly, she didn’t buy that. But, she perked up when I told her that by social security standards, she was still a younger individual. What’s more, she still had years to go in the younger individual category. Under the regulations, anyone under 50 is a younger individual. I was glad I could make her smile.

Another friend (yes, I have more than one friend) turned 50 yesterday. He wasn’t taking it well. It was hitting him hard. I figured it wouldn’t be helpful to explain that, under the social security regulations, he was now officially "closely approaching advanced age". But, I had to smile when I remembered something that happened a few months ago. My legal assistant, Lacie and I were working like busy little bees when a phone call came through. Ever ready, Lacie answered the phone and was greeted with a booming voice saying, "Hi, it’s Mike (not his real name). It’s my birthday. I’m 50!".Recovering quickly, but taken aback, Lacie muttered her congratulations. "Yes", Mike replied, "Dory said it would be easier for me to get my social security disability after I turned 50". Now, here was a guy who was delighted to turn 50.

With some important exceptions, it is easier to prove disability when you are 50 years of age or older. The reason why is that social security recognizes that as one ages, it becomes more difficult to adapt to new situations. Thus, at age 50, under many circumstances, if one is limited to sedentary (sit down) work, one is disabled.

So, as Mike realized, there is a upside to birthdays after age 49.

To learn more about social security disability issues, please see our website at social security disability law.  To learn more about our social security disability lawyers, please click on social security disability lawyers maryland and read the firm bios on Dory Sutker or Suja Varghese.

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