Trump plan would limit disability benefits for older Americans – msn/WaPost

“The Trump administration is preparing a plan that would make it harder for older Americans to qualify for Social Security disability payments, part of an overhaul of the federal safety net for poor, older and disabled people that could result in hundreds of thousands of people losing benefits, according to people familiar with the plans.

“The Social Security Administration evaluates disability claims by considering age, work experience and education to determine if a person can adjust to other types of work. Older applicants, typically over 50, have a better chance of qualifying because age is treated as a limitation in adapting to many jobs.

“But now officials are considering eliminating age as a factor entirely or raising the threshold to age 60, according to three people familiar with the plans who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share private discussions. They also plan to modernize labor market data used to judge whether claimants can work, replacing an outdated jobs database that includes obsolete occupations such as nut sorters and telephone quotation clerks, following a Washington Post investigation in 2022.

**Updating Social Security Disability: Regulatory Changes Could Significantly Reduce Eligibility for Benefits, Particularly among Older Workers – Urban Institute**

“Estimated Impact:

The anticipated regulation could reduce eligibility for new applicants to the SSDI program by as much as 20 percent overall, and up to 30 percent among older workers. The potential impact on the SSI program is unclear.

A 10 percent reduction in SSDI eligibility could result in 500,000 people losing access over 10 years, including 80,000 widows and children. An additional 250,000 beneficiaries could lose eligibility for part of the period.

A 10 percent reduction would reduce benefits by $82 billion, with ripple effects on Medicare and Medicaid eligibility.

Many denied older workers may claim early retirement benefits, reducing their lifetime income by up to 30 percent.”