Social Security Announces Major Change in Disability Benefits – The Social Security Administration (SSA) has recently made a major change in the rules related to disability benefits, which will affect millions of American citizens. This change, made after almost 50 years, is aimed at making the process more equitable and in line with the current economic situation.
If you are dependent on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or are thinking of applying for it, then this change can prove to be important for you. Therefore, it is important to understand these new rules and prepare your application accordingly.
Major change in Social Security disability benefits
Under the new rules, SSA has taken an important step towards making the eligibility criteria more real and relevant. In this, some old and irrelevant occupations have been removed, as well as the period of work experience has also been reduced. This change will benefit those who were previously unable to get benefits due to the old rules.
List of main changes:
| Change | Description |
|---|---|
| New Disability Evaluation Criteria | SSA will no longer consider certain outdated and irrelevant occupations, such as Agricultural Engineers and Astronomers. |
| Reduced Work History Period | Previously, applications required 15 years of work history; now, only the last 5 years will be considered. |
| Focus on More Relevant Occupations | Only occupations that exist in today’s economy will be taken into account for eligibility. |
| Impact on SSDI Recipients | The new policy will make eligibility criteria more inclusive and help more individuals in need receive benefits. |
Why was the Social Security disability benefit changed?
Previously, SSA used a list of more than 100 old occupations to see if a person was able to perform the job. Many of these occupations are now either defunct or have become very rare. For example, occupations such as “telephone operator” and “agricultural engineer” are now much less common than they used to be.
These old lists prevented many qualified applicants from receiving benefits because they were considered capable of jobs that are no longer relevant. SSA decided to update the list to eliminate this injustice. Now disability will be evaluated based on the jobs that exist in today’s economy.
Reduction in work experience period
Previously SSA looked at 15 years of work experience to check what type of work a person has done in the past. Now this has been reduced to 5 years. This change will benefit people whose skills or health have changed over time and they can no longer perform their old jobs.
Impact on SSDI recipients
If you are already an SSDI beneficiary, this change will not have much impact on you because the SSA will not review the benefits of old recipients based on the new rules.
However, this change will be important for new applicants and those who were previously deemed ineligible. If your SSDI application was denied earlier, this may be the right time to apply again.
How to apply for SSDI?
If you want to apply for SSDI benefits, keep the following in mind:
- ✅ Review your work experience – Provide details of only the last 5 years of employment.
- ✅ Understand the new occupation list – If your previous work is irrelevant, you may have more chances.
- ✅ Seek professional advice – If you are having difficulty applying, seek help from a disability lawyer or counselor.
- ✅ If rejected earlier, apply again – Applicants who were rejected due to the old rules can now get eligibility.
Conclusion
These changes made by SSA will make the evaluation of disability benefits more equitable and in line with current circumstances. Now by removing irrelevant jobs and reducing the period of work experience, more people will be able to get SSDI benefits.
If you have applied for SSDI earlier and you were rejected, then this is the right time to reapply. Also, it may be beneficial to take guidance from a lawyer or expert to complete the application process correctly.
This new change will bring relief to those who have been fighting for their rights for a long time. If you too may be eligible for SSDI benefits, consider applying as soon as possible! 🚀
FAQs On Social Security Announces Major Change in Disability Benefits
Q. Will this change apply to all SSDI beneficiaries?
A. No, this change will only apply to new applicants and those going through the re-evaluation process.
Q. Will this rule apply to all SSDI cases?
A. Yes, but the SSA will now only consider relevant occupations and not count old irrelevant jobs.
Q. If my application has been denied before, can I reapply?
A. Yes, if your application was denied under the old rules, now is a good time to reapply under the new rules.