As you age, your body may not heal as quickly as it did when you were younger. Have you noticed that a bruise or scrape lingers before getting better? While it typically isn’t good for a wound to take long to heal because of the risk of infection and other issues, there’s one time when being older and taking longer to heal may be of benefit — when you’re applying for SSD benefits.
Current data shows that people who are 50 or older are more likely to obtain approval for Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits than their younger counterparts. In the over-50 group, those who are aged 60 to 65 gain approval for SSD benefits nearly 2/3 of the time, meaning out of the total number of applicants, 2/3 will receive approval. You must meet both eligibility and medical requirements to collect benefits.
What other factors of consideration determine approval for SSD benefits?
If you have a mental illness or a musculoskeletal condition, it may be tougher to gain approval for SSD benefits than if you have some other type of condition. Applicants with respiratory problems, cardiovascular disease or severe injuries that prevent them from returning to work are more likely to gain approval for benefits.
Statistics show that men reportedly gain approval for SSD benefits more than women, but this might be because men typically experience the conditions mentioned in the previous section more than women do. Studies also show that men sometimes take longer to heal. The prognosis of a condition, meaning how long it may last and how fully a patient might recover, is under consideration when an SSD application is in review.
Make sure you have medical documentation to support your claim
Another thing that increases your chance of having an SSD claim approved is medical documentation. If someone applies for benefits and has not even been to a doctor regarding his or her condition, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will no doubt deny the claim.
Speaking of denying a claim, if that happens to you, you don’t necessarily have to lose all hope. You may be able to appeal the decision. It’s not uncommon for the SSA to grant approval through the appellate process. Various issues can prompt a denial, such as not providing enough detail about your injury or condition or claiming a condition that is not on the approved list. However, the SSA may overturn these issues upon appeal. It’s best to seek guidance and support before filing an appeal to ensure that you have everything in order to submit your claim.