Ask Larry

Should I Apply For A Disability Freeze?

I will be 62 this year and have been on SSDI for one year, should I apply for a disability freeze or not. I have more than 35 years on my record but some were much lower.

Hi,

If you are receiving Social Security disability (SSDI) benefits, then a disability freeze has already been established in your case. You can't be entitled to SSDI benefits without also having a disability freeze automatically established. There are almost no circumstances under which a person would need to file separately for a disability freeze other than cases involving blindness and railroad earnings (https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0426001010).

By the way, a disability freeze in Social Security parlance simply means that a person has established that they meet the medical requirements for Social Security disability benefits even though they may not qualify for cash benefits. The years in the freeze are then excluded when calculating their future retirement or disability benefit rate.

Best, Jerry

Posted: 
Sep 11 2017 - 9:13am
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