Disability benefits serve as a lifeline of financial support for individuals who are unable to work due to their condition. When applying for disability benefits, a number of factors such as educational background, age, and work experience are all put under consideration to determine eligibility. Age in particular in considered as a determining factor because it is often posed as an adapting limitation at many jobs. Now, however, a new report is suggesting that the Trump Administration might soon reduce age as a determining factory for disability, if not eliminate it entirely.
Disability benefits are split up into two categories: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The difference between the two is that the SSDI functions as an insurance program, whilst the SSI is more of a needs-based welfare program. As such, it is not yet certain which of the two programs (if not both) will be affected by this proposed policy change. Here is what you need to know.
SSDI and SSI benefit eligibility
SSDI benefits function in a manner similar to retiree benefits. In order to claim SSDI benefits, the individual will have to earn a sufficient number of work credits by paying into the Social Security payroll tax. The SSI benefit on the other hand, is a welfare program where benefits are paid to those with little to no other resources or income, who are also either blind, disabled, or aged 65 and older.
When a disability claim is filed, factors such as age, education, work experience, and severity of condition are all looked at. According to a new report from The Washington Post, the Trump Administration might make a change to the age threshold that allows an individual to qualify for disability benefits. The current age threshold stands at 50, however, the White House is looking at moving it up to 60. Furthermore, the possibility of removing age as a qualifying factor entirely is also said to be on the table, according to 3 sources who are familiar with the plan.
The sources also cited this new framework as a “priority of Russel Vought” who is the current director of the Office of Management and Budget and a co-author of “Project 2025”. Whilst President Donald trump had distanced himself from the “manifesto of right-wing policy goals” on the campaign trail, he is reported to have enacted close to half of its objectives since stepping into office in January.
Speaking to The Washington Post, an SSA spokesperson shared that the agency is working on plans to “propose improvements to the disability adjudication process to ensure our disability program remains current and can be more efficiently administered. This includes proposing policy updates to occupational data sources and optimizing their use to serve our customers and preserve the trust funds.”
“Once the proposal is fully developed, we will share it publicly and request public comment through the standard rulemaking process…As with any rulemaking, we will consider and analyze public comments before deciding whether to finalize the rule,” the spokesperson added.
What kind of impact will this have?
In response to the report, the White House has maintained that the president “will always protect and defend Social Security”, reiterating Trump’s own words said during the election campaign. Advocates and lawmakers have, however, denounced the administration’s plan, fearing it may lead to negative consequences for beneficiaries. The exact number of people who would be impacted by this change is not known, however, “considering a 10 percent drop in people who are eligible to receive disability-based disbursements suggested that 750,000 fewer people would receive benefits from the program over the next 10 years, with another 80,000 widows and children who benefit from the program also being detrimentally affected,” as per a recent analysis.
“This is Phase One of the Republican campaign to force Americans to work into old age to access their earned Social Security benefits, and represents the largest cut to disability insurance in American history,” Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) stated. “Americans with disabilities have worked and paid into Social Security just like everybody else, and they do not deserve the indignity of more bureaucratic water torture to get what they paid for.”
“Americans EARN Social Security disability benefits by paying into the program with every paycheck, along with retirement and survivor benefits,” Social Security Works wrote in a Facebook post. “But now, the Trump administration is trying to cut those benefits. They’ll do anything to protect billionaires from paying their fair share.”
“This is a cut to the benefits millions of Americans have earned. And we’re not going to stand for it — we’re going to fight,” the Alliance for Retired Americans asserted on X.