{"id":32435,"date":"2023-11-06T14:03:01","date_gmt":"2023-11-06T14:03:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/microloannexus.com\/personal-finance\/is-social-security-disability-getting-tougher-to-qualify-for-what-you-need-to-know\/"},"modified":"2023-11-06T14:03:02","modified_gmt":"2023-11-06T14:03:02","slug":"is-social-security-disability-getting-tougher-to-qualify-for-what-you-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/microloannexus.com\/?p=32435","title":{"rendered":"Is Social Security Disability Getting Tougher To Qualify For? What You Need To Know"},"content":{"rendered":"
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For nearly a quarter century, Social Security disability applications were on a steady climb, then started to level off. Is it that less<\/em> people were disabled or was it tougher to obtain? Or were there other reasons?<\/p>\n

The answer isn\u2019t quite clear, according to new research from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College (CRRC). Until 2015, the number of Americans applying for disability had tripled over a 24-year period to around 9 million people.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe reversal is due both to more people exiting the program as the population ages and to fewer new people joining the rolls,\u201d writes Kim Blanton, examining new research from CRRC.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut a second factor that has received less attention reflects policy changes within the disability system, such as a stricter process for awarding benefits on appeal,\u201d Blanton notes.<\/p>\n

\u201cStarting in 2010, for example, the administrative law judges who handle appeals by workers who were initially denied benefits were retrained to improve consistency within the appeals process. This made it more difficult for some individuals to be approved and reduced the share of applicants being accepted into the program.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Yet another factor was that more Americans could qualify for Social Security simply by getting older. \u201cIt\u2019s conceivable that fewer people are applying for disability because more and more Baby Boomers are old enough to start their Social Security retirement benefits instead,\u201d Blanton adds. \u201cHowever, this has not reduced the disability rolls, the researchers found.\u201d<\/p>\n

As most who apply for disability know, actually receiving benefits is a rigorous process. You have to qualify by certifying you have specified medical conditions, among other things. It\u2019s not like applying for a driver\u2019s license.<\/p>\n

According to the Social Security Administration, you need to meet a few qualifications:<\/p>\n