Applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits may become easier following recent updates to how the Social Security Administration evaluates applicants’ work histories.
Late last month, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced that applicants seeking SSDI income will no longer be required to submit work histories from the past 15 years, but instead only need to recall the past five years of work history.
“This new rule will reduce the burden and time applicants face when completing their employment history information, making it easier for applicants to focus on providing the most current and relevant details about their past employment history,” Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley said in a statement.
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“This will also improve the quality of information frontline workers receive for decision-making, improving customer service and reducing case processing times and overall wait times,” O’Malley said.
The Social Security Administration wants work history to determine whether an applicant can do their previous work, because “unless an illness, injury, or condition prevents you from doing your previous work or makes you unable to accommodate other work, you are not considered disabled under[Social Security Administration]regulations.”
According to the Social Security Administration, the previous rule requiring individuals to provide 15 years of prior work experience “was difficult for individuals to recall and often led to incomplete or inaccurate reporting.”
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According to the Social Security Administration, “the new rules make it easier for people applying for benefits by providing them with enough information to continue making accurate decisions while keeping their current, relevant business activities focused.”
As part of the new rules, the agency also no longer requires applicants to report employment that began and ended within a 30-calendar day period.