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Obtaining SSDI benefits just got a little easier

On Behalf of | Jul 19, 2024 | Social Security Disability

The idea that the Social Security Administration (SSA) just made it easier for people to obtain Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits is probably surprising to many – but it just happened. 

In reality, the changes the agency recently made to the application process are long overdue. 

You no longer have to worry about being told you can work an obsolete job

In June of 2024, SSA announced that it was removing hundreds of jobs from the list of occupations that their vocational experts could cite as a basis for a disability denial. 

Vocational experts are required to weigh in when a claim is denied at the reconsideration or hearing levels, but they were citing jobs like “canary breeder” and “railroad telegrapher” as positions that people could work despite significant disabilities. The changes are welcomed by disability advocates, although more outdated jobs could probably also be stricken from the lists.

You no longer have to cite quite so much prior work activity

SSDI applicants also have to reveal much about their prior jobs when they file a claim, so that SSA can evaluate applicants to see if they could possibly return to a previous occupation or transfer the skills they acquired in one job to another. 

In the past, applicants had to provide 15 years of detailed work history, including jobs they only held for a few days. That was a burden that many applicants found intimidating, difficult and unfair. Now, the agency will only require applicants to provide five years of work history, and they can skip any jobs that they held for less than a month.

If you have been thinking about applying for SSDI benefits, you don’t have to go through the process alone. There is experienced legal guidance available.

 

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