WHAT ARE GRID RULES FOR SSDI?

Social Security Administration (SSA) "Grid Rules" for those over 50

make it easier to qualify for disability by recognizing older workers struggle to adjust to new jobs, especially with limited education or skills; rules vary by age bracket (50-54 vs. 55+), finding someone disabled if they can't do past work, have limited capacity (e.g., limited to Sedentary work), and lack transferable skills. Grid rules have greater allowances for claimants 55+. ble. These rules use age, education, work history, and Residual Functional Capacity (RFC) to assess if you can do other jobs, making older claimants (50+) more likely to win benefits than younger ones with similar limitations.

To effectively use Grid Rules to win Social Security disability, the claimant must:

1. Clearly define and describe past work (within 5 years), explaining the standing, walking and maximum lifting required of each past job. This helps Social Security determine the Exertional Level of your past relevant work: Sedentary, Light or Medium.

2. Help to establish a clear "Residual Functional Capacity" or RFC. This means: the maximum level of exertion you can sustain in spite of all your impairments or conditions. For example: are you restricted to Medium exertion, Light exertion or Sedentary exertion? Social Security (the judge at a hearing) will determine your RFC. This is largely determined by your medical records but your testimony may also be considered.

Other factors that affect a Grid Rule are: your age and whether you have transferable skills.

If you appear at a hearing, you may need to question the vocational expert (VE) that Social Security has called to testify. The VE, for instance, may testify that if you retain the capacity to perform work at the Light exertion level, you could be a Food and Beverage Order Clerk, Garment Tagger or Postal Clerk. You may need to ask about, for example, how the inability to concentrate longer than 30 minutes would restrict your ability to perform those jobs. Or, could you still perform those jobs if you require an extra 10-minute break every day? Usually, a skilled lawyer will be the one who knows how to cross examine the VE for the best effect, in light of your medical records.

So, the big factors in using the Grid Rules will be:

1) Details of your Past Relevant Work (Exertion and Skill level)

2) Education level

3) Transferable skills

4) Residual Functional Capacity - what you can still do

Hopefully, you have a skilled lawyer who can use the Grid Rules to direct a finding of disabled so your claim can be paid.

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Charles W. Forsythe, MS

The Forsythe Firm

Huntsville, AL PHONE (256) 799-0297