Despite years of low or no earnings, the disability freeze may prevent your Social Security disability or retirement benefits from being reduced.

Disability causes a person to always have gaps in their employment history or times when they made less money because of their illness. This can reduce your disability or retirement benefits or even render you ineligible for benefits for disability applicants who apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) as opposed to Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

The "disability freeze" was introduced by the Social Security Administration (SSA) to mitigate the effects of low earnings years. The disability freeze, which is also known as a period of disability, "freezes" an individual's insured status and keeps them eligible for future disability and retirement benefits.

Requirements for Disability Freeze

In order to be eligible for a disability freeze:

  • - You must be disabled or blind (as defined by the SSA)
  • - Have insured status for SSDI (based on your work history)
  • - File for disability with the Social Security Administration (SSA) while you are disabled.
Can You Receive a Disability Freeze Despite Not Receiving Disability Benefits?

Even if they aren't getting disability payments every month, some people might still be eligible for a disability freeze. The Social Security Administration (SSA) will take your period of disability into account when determining your benefit amounts if you apply for disability benefits later. You and your family may receive higher disability benefits as a result of this. Individuals who are not receiving disability benefits on a monthly basis are only eligible for:

  • - Legally visually impaired people who are still able to work.
  • - Individuals whose qualification for an inability freeze depends on profit as a railroad specialist or as military faculty (on the grounds that these incomes don't count for Government managed retirement purposes)
  • - Detained people (under specific circumstances).
Am I still eligible to qualify for Disability freeze if my Condition started a few years ago?

You are still eligible for a disability freeze as long as you can demonstrate that you became disabled while you were insured for SSDI (before your date of last insurance) even if it was several years ago.

Should I take early retirement or apply for SSDI and a disability freeze?

If you are disabled and are getting close to 62, you might want to retire early rather than apply for SSDI. You can however, apply for a disability freeze if you are approved for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), which is easier to get for older claimants. This will limit the effects of any low-earning years or years when you didn't work that were related to your illness. As a result, retirement and SSDI payments may rise.

If I'm on SSI, can I get a disability freeze?

Because it is directly related to a person's earnings history, SSDI recipients are the only ones eligible for a disability freeze.

If you are statutorily blind but earn more than the SSA's income limit, or if you work for the United States railroad system, which has its own disability benefit programme, you may be eligible for a disability freeze even if you are not qualified for SSDI.