Say, for instance, that you are a young adult that has just entered the workforce. However, say you soon experience a severe medical condition that has prevented you from earning above substantial gainful activity. And say that this has been going on for over one year. In a case like this, you may wonder whether your age matters when applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. Continue reading to learn whether there is a minimum age requirement for SSDI and how an experienced attorney of SSDI eligibility in New Jersey, at The Law Offices of Sheryl Gandel Mazur, can help you work through this.

What is the minimum age requirement for SSDI benefits?

You may be surprised to discover that the Social Security Administration (SSA) does not have a minimum age requirement when it comes to SSDI benefit applications. Instead, they just require that you prove that you have an eligible physical or mental condition that has seriously interfered with your daily activities for the last year, such as your ability to maintain gainful employment.

However, this is not to say that it will not be difficult to be approved for SSDI benefits when you are under the age of 50. This is because, if you are 50 years of age or older, the SSA will consider you disabled even if you are physically able to perform easier work, but do not know how to perform it or cannot learn how to perform it. But when are under the age of 50, the SSA will not consider you disabled if you are physically able to perform the least demanding jobs.

What are the age-based standards for an SSDI application?

Regardless of your age, you will have to prove to the SSA that your physical or mental condition meets their list of eligible impairments and that it ultimately prevents you from returning to any work you did in the past.

However, the SSA still has different age-based standards when evaluating SSDI applications. Such standards are classified in the following ways:

  • Child applicant: you will be characterized as a child applicant if you are under the age of 18.
  • Younger applicant: you will be characterized as a younger applicant if you are between the ages of 18 to 49.
  • Applicant closely approaching advanced age: you will be characterized as an applicant closely approaching advanced age if you are between the ages of 50 to 54.
  • Advanced age applicant: you will be characterized as an advanced applicant if you are between the ages of 55 to 60.
  • Applicant closely approaching retirement age: you will be characterized as an applicant closely approaching retirement age if you are between the ages of 60 to 64.

For more information, contact a skilled New Jersey SSDI attorney today.