How does Social Security decide if I am disabled?

Trying to investigate what protocol the Social Security Administration uses to determine your disability? Don’t expect a straight forward answer from the SSA. They do make reference to their five step evaluation process to determine this, which we will discuss here.

The first thing you need to know about attempting to claim disability under Social Security is that it is granted based on your inability to work because of any outstanding medical condition that is disabling you. To be considered disabled by the Social Security Administration you must be entirely unable do the work you previously did. It is at the dicretion of the SSA if you would have been able to adjust or not to your previous employment, or any other form of work because of your medical condition.

Another factor when being considered is that your disability must either last, or is expected to last a year for you to qualify. This is also true if your medical condition is believed to be leading to your death.

You can not claim disability benefits unless you are fully disabled in the eyes of the SSA. This means that you are not partially disabled or you are disabled for a short period of time. As long as all of these qualifications are met… well then you need to meet even more qualifications. These are outlined in the document “Disability Benefits” (This is document number 05-10029 put out by the SSA.) The SSA strongly suggests that you read over this document to better understand their decision process.

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February 22, 2008 | Filed Under Social Security Benefits, Social Security Disability 

Comments

6 Responses to “How does Social Security decide if I am disabled?”

  1. nguyen joo barroso on November 15th, 2008 1:59 pm

    i need de information i collect the social security, but my employed is not payment 5 week and i need checking is payment my social security but the company is discount the social security of the payment in my check. sorry for my ingish.

  2. Nelda Ferris on February 27th, 2009 1:30 pm

    Yeh! people who are not legal here wanting SS, and SS is cheating my daughter out of SS disability. She has a condition that she was born with. And over 50 years it has progressed. She has no job, can’t work with one good leg and one arm, but SS tell’s her she is not eligable.
    How and who do I get to help her. She still has a child in school.
    her Mother

  3. Dottie on April 11th, 2009 7:08 pm

    I have seen women who were 400+ lbs. working at jobs that you could sit at. She could be a Walmart greeter!!! Obesity isn’t a disability.

  4. Pam on April 13th, 2009 11:51 pm

    Laziness and obesity aren’t a disability. Tell your daughter to go out and earn a living for once in her life. There are jobs for one armed one legged people. If there’s a will, there’s a way.

  5. Leslie on April 19th, 2009 2:51 am

    Tell your daughter to get a job doing telemarketing or something else that wont strain those huge cankles. She needs to quit relying on everyone else to support her. She’s old and needs to know the feeling of earning her own way for once in her pathetic life.

  6. Leann May on July 22nd, 2009 11:56 pm

    Tell your old, frigid, hairy, cripple of a daughter to find a job at Whataburger or Taco Bell. We all know that food is her best friend. Tell her to keep her paws out of her ex-husbands pockets and finally do something for her nasty pathetic self. HOVEROUND!!!!!! that will enable her to finally be able to get around instead of having people push her 400 lbs. plus butt around!!! Child support isn’t to feed your fat self. but for your child ONLY!!!

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