Can I Get Social Security Disability After Age 62 in NY?
- Posted on March 25, 2026
If you’re 62 or older and you can no longer work, you’re probably considering taking Social Security early. You may want to consider Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) first.
Claiming disability benefits could protect your future retirement benefits and help secure a stronger financial future. But for SSDI, you need to prove that you have health problems that prevent you from working.
It can be a lot of work to show the Social Security Administration (SSA) that you qualify for disability benefits.
A Binghamton disability lawyer from Lachman & Gorton Law Office can help you learn more about why seeking SSDI may be worthwhile, and we can help you appeal if your initial claim gets denied.
There’s little financial risk to you to work with a disability lawyer. You only pay an attorney fee if you win benefits.
So if you’re at least 62, but not retirement age, and you no longer work due to health issues, don’t jump to early retirement and smaller retirement checks for life.
Take the time to see if you have a qualifying impairment that Social Security will recognize.
Your initial consultation with our Upstate New York disability attorneys is free.
Why Claim Social Security Disability After Age 62?
After age 62, a lot of people don’t think about applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). If they can’t work, they’re going to take early retirement.
You can start taking retirement at 62, but it reduces how much you receive in benefits each month for the rest of your life. You could be reducing your monthly benefit by as much as 25-30% by retiring early.
If you have a qualifying disability, on the other hand, you could receive SSDI instead of retiring early and accepting that cut to your long-term benefits.
The amount you receive in Social Security Disability benefits may be less than your full retirement amount, but once you reach 67, you can begin receiving your full retirement income from then on. You can’t receive both types of benefits at the same time.
When you get SSDI, you also become eligible to enroll in Medicare before you reach age 65, the typical enrollment age.
This isn’t a handout. You’ve worked your whole life and paid into this system. Social Security Disability was designed to help people who worked and contributed but have to stop working early because of medical conditions.
You’ll need to consider your own financial situation and consult with financial advisers you trust, but you may want to apply for SSDI and then take Social Security retirement when you reach full retirement age.
Discuss how to pursue your disability claim with Lachman & Gorton.
What If I Was Denied SSDI When I Was Younger?
Most people get denied when they first apply for Social Security Disability. The program has high standards, and it can be tough to convince the SSA that you deserve benefits.
If you’ve been suffering from a chronic condition for years and unsuccessfully applied for benefits when you were younger, you may think you’ll just get denied again if you apply now. In reality, you could have better luck now—after more time has passed.
This is because Social Security evaluates claims slightly differently when people over 50 apply for disability.
When an examiner looks at a disability claim, they don’t just want to see that you can’t work at your current job. The SSA wants to know if you can work any job at all.
If you can switch career fields or train to work in another position, you’ll be denied SSDI benefits.
When an older person applies for disability, Social Security is less likely to expect them to change careers and find another way to earn a living.
If you apply for disability benefits after age 62, your age should be an even greater factor that helps support your claim.
Every case is different, but the point is that you shouldn’t assume you won’t be eligible for SSDI.
Our disability lawyers serving Binghamton, Elmira, Oneonta, and Rochester can evaluate all of the unique factors affecting your claim and help you get the best chance of winning benefits.
How a NY Social Security Disability Lawyer Can Help
If you’re age 62 or older and you’ve been denied SSDI benefits, know that you’re not alone.
This is where the Lachman & Gorton Law Office comes in. Our New York disability lawyers can help you appeal and fight for the benefits you deserve.
There are tight deadlines to manage and piles of paperwork to take care of, but we’ve helped thousands of people in this situation. We know the appeals process well.
A Binghamton disability lawyer can:
- Analyze your file and why you were denied benefits
- Identify evidence that could help you strengthen your claim
- File paperwork needed to request reconsideration
- Prepare you for your disability hearing in front of an administrative law judge (ALJ)
- Cross-examine expert witnesses at your hearing
- Ask the Social Security Appeals Council to review your case, if necessary
- File your appeal in Federal District Court, if needed
- Protect and maximize your back benefits
The appeals process can be lengthy, but it’s well worth the effort to get the SSDI benefits you need to return stability and peace of mind to your life.
You don’t want to trust your SSDI appeal to just anyone. You need an experienced disability law firm that’s been helping people across Binghamton, Elmira, and the rest of Upstate New York for decades.
We’ll do everything that we can to maximize your chances of receiving SSDI benefits while you wait to reach full retirement age.
