my friends and family have been telling me i should apply for ss disability due to my complete deafness..but im 75 and dont know if i can even qualify.. can u help please? thanks

Hi,

Social Security disability benefits (SSDI) are only payable until a person reaches their full retirement age (FRA), and you can't claim SSDI for more than 12 months retroactively. So, since you reached your FRA more than a year ago, it would be too late for you to apply for SSDI benefits.

To clarify, the intent of SSDI is to permit someone to draw their Social Security benefits early if they become unable to work due to a disability. The benefit amount paid to SSDI recipients is basically the same as their full Social Security retirement benefit rate, and if a person is receiving SSDI their benefits convert to regular Social Security retirement benefits at the same rate once they reach FRA. Thus, the reason that a person can't claim SSDI for months after they've reached FRA is because it would not produce a higher benefit rate.

Best, Jerry