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SSA reportedly shelves overhaul of disability-benefit eligibility rules

The agency received strong pushback from senior advocacy groups

Updated:

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Mark Huffman
Reporter

Mark Huffman has covered consumer issues since 2004, with a special focus on protecting and empowering older adults. A former news correspondent for the Associated Press Radio Network, Westwood One, and ConsumerAffairs, Mark brings decades of journalistic experience to RetirementLiving.com. He is passionate about giving consumers a voice and helping them make informed decisions. Mark has also created educational content, including Senior Scam Alert, a video resource designed to help seniors recognize and avoid fraud. He holds a B.A. from the University of Kentucky and lives with his family in Richmond, Virginia.
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Key Insights

  • Social Security Administration halts plans to overhaul disability-benefit eligibility rules after advocacy groups raised concerns.
  • Proposed changes reportedly could have reduced or eliminated benefits for hundreds of thousands, especially older Americans.
  • Advocates praise the agency’s decision and call for transparency in any future policy updates.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) has reportedly stepped back from a potential overhaul of how it determines eligibility for disability benefits, according to disability-rights advocates who were briefed on the decision. 

One of the advocacy groups, AARP, said the move follows months of concern from organizations that warned the contemplated changes could severely restrict access to Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and disproportionately affect older Americans.

Advocates say they were alerted to the reversal during recent conversations with SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano. Jason Turkish, an attorney and cofounder of the nonprofit Alliance for America’s Promise, said Bisignano informed him in a Nov. 18 meeting that the agency would not move forward with the new regulations. 

Turkish added that other senior administration officials had delivered similar assurances the week prior.

“I am deeply gratified by this outcome,” Turkish wrote in a Nov. 19 update to fellow advocates.

The SSA had signaled earlier this year that it was preparing to propose changes aimed at making the disability-determination process more efficient. Among the most controversial ideas reportedly under consideration was reducing the importance of age as a factor when evaluating eligibility for SSDI and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). 

Advocacy and research groups argued that such a shift could strip benefits from hundreds of thousands of current recipients, particularly older adults whose age-related limitations are already integral to disability assessments.

Groups representing older Americans expressed relief following news that the overhaul was no longer being pursued.

“Social Security Disability Insurance is a critical lifeline for people who find themselves no longer able to work,” said Jenn Jones, AARP’s vice president of financial security. 

She praised the commissioner’s “careful and transparent” approach, noting that changes to SSDI could significantly affect older beneficiaries who depend on the program for stability and independence.

Agency silent on details

Neither the SSA nor the White House responded to inquiries about the decision, leaving unclear which elements of the proposed rule changes were under active consideration or whether they may resurface in the future. 

For now, disability-rights groups are treating the pause as a victory and a reminder of the influence of sustained public advocacy.