When someone is between the ages of 62 and 65, they can receive early retirement from Social Security Administration (SSA). A person who goes to Social Security while in that age range may receive early retirement rather than a disability benefit. The problem for ABD-related benefits is that s/he may not meet categorical relationship. It’s important to determine whether an applicant is getting disability or early retirement, so we have to contact SSA to verify.

BENDEX can be confusing because there may be a date in the Disable Date (block B59), whether the person is on disability or early retirement. The Disable Date on Bendex is an application date for disability. Here are a few things to consider:

If B22 (Current Entitlement Date) is the month the applicant turned age 62, or thereafter, and no SSI being received, it is likely early retirement. If B22 is before age 62, it is likely Disability income and the disable date should be within about 6 months of the B22 start date.

Example: B59 Disable Date shows 06/2016, B22 shows 12/2016, Medicare starts 24 months later 12/2018. This is disability income. If someone has Medicare and is under age 65, it is disability income unless the Medicare is End Stage Renal (claim number ends in T and no Social Security income).

If the Disable Date is in the month of the applicant’s 62nd birthday or after, or the B59 disable date was years before the B22 date, it is possibly early retirement.

Example: B59 disable date shows 09/2017, B22 shows 03/2019 and DOB is 02/01/1957 (so they turned age 62 in 2019). This is likely early retirement because they started receiving the income the month after they turned age 62 and the disable date (B59) is from 2 years ago and B22 is from 2019. When someone is determined disabled, there should only be a 6 month gap between Disable Date (B59) and B22 start date.

A person is eligible for Medicare the month s/he turns 65 or has been on Social Security Disability for 2 years. A person on early retirement is eligible for Medicare no earlier than the month s/he turns 65.

If the applicant is on early retirement, s/he needs to be sent back to Social Security to request a disability decision. If SSA won’t make a disability decision, the paperwork can be sent to OHCA’s Level of Care Evaluation Unit (LOCEU) to get a disability decision. The case will have to stay in application status until a decision is made.