Social Security Disability and your Work History
The definition of a disability for Social Security is any medical or mental condition that has prevented an individual from engaging in substantial work activity for twelve months, is expected to prevent work activity for twelve months, or which may result in death.
As you can see, work activity is an integral part of the disability process. In order to determine if an individual is disabled according to Social Security disability criteria, all work activity must be evaluated. Disability examiners evaluate an individual's work history so that they can determine if an individual’s residual functional capacity will allow them to return to their past work or if the individual might be capable of performing other types of work in spite of their limitations.
How does Social Security evaluate your work activity? Social Security disability examiners review all work activity for a period of fifteen years prior to a person becoming disabled. They can consider any job (which lasted for three months or more, if your earnings were above the substantial gainful work activity monthly amount for that year) when determining if you are able to go back to any past work. Even if the disability examiner determines that your limitations preclude you from performing any of your past work, the examiner may determine that you are able to perform other types of work activity (this is where many applicants for SSD and SSI benefits get denied---on the basis of being able to perform "other work").
For example, an individual who previously worked as a tractor-trailer-truck driver may be unable to return to this type of employment due to degenerative disc disease or some other type of back related impairment. And this determination may be based on the fact that the claimant, according to the medical records obtained from the claimant's doctors and hospitals, is unable to perform anything more than light exertion work activity (a tractor-trailer-truck driver job is rated in the DOT, or dictionary of occupational titles, as medium exertion work activity). However, based on the claimant's age, education, and job-acquired skills, a disability examiner or judge may decide that the individual is able to transition to other types of work, meaning, of course, that the case, and claim for benefits, would be denied.
Although your work history can be used to deny Social Security disability benefits, in some cases your work history and disabling condition may help you win disability benefits. Many individuals age fifty and above who do not meet or equal the evaluation criteria contained in the Social Security disability handbook are able to win their disability benefits through medical vocational allowances.
Medical vocational allowances allow disability examiners to consider your age, work history, education, and residual functional capacity (what you're able to do in spite of your medical and/or mental condition) when making their medical disability determination. In other words, the disability examiner has a little more flexibility in making a medical vocational determination, which results in more disability approvals.
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Social Security Disability Claim Secrets
Social Security Disability Benefits Questions
As you can see, work activity is an integral part of the disability process. In order to determine if an individual is disabled according to Social Security disability criteria, all work activity must be evaluated. Disability examiners evaluate an individual's work history so that they can determine if an individual’s residual functional capacity will allow them to return to their past work or if the individual might be capable of performing other types of work in spite of their limitations.
How does Social Security evaluate your work activity? Social Security disability examiners review all work activity for a period of fifteen years prior to a person becoming disabled. They can consider any job (which lasted for three months or more, if your earnings were above the substantial gainful work activity monthly amount for that year) when determining if you are able to go back to any past work. Even if the disability examiner determines that your limitations preclude you from performing any of your past work, the examiner may determine that you are able to perform other types of work activity (this is where many applicants for SSD and SSI benefits get denied---on the basis of being able to perform "other work").
For example, an individual who previously worked as a tractor-trailer-truck driver may be unable to return to this type of employment due to degenerative disc disease or some other type of back related impairment. And this determination may be based on the fact that the claimant, according to the medical records obtained from the claimant's doctors and hospitals, is unable to perform anything more than light exertion work activity (a tractor-trailer-truck driver job is rated in the DOT, or dictionary of occupational titles, as medium exertion work activity). However, based on the claimant's age, education, and job-acquired skills, a disability examiner or judge may decide that the individual is able to transition to other types of work, meaning, of course, that the case, and claim for benefits, would be denied.
Although your work history can be used to deny Social Security disability benefits, in some cases your work history and disabling condition may help you win disability benefits. Many individuals age fifty and above who do not meet or equal the evaluation criteria contained in the Social Security disability handbook are able to win their disability benefits through medical vocational allowances.
Medical vocational allowances allow disability examiners to consider your age, work history, education, and residual functional capacity (what you're able to do in spite of your medical and/or mental condition) when making their medical disability determination. In other words, the disability examiner has a little more flexibility in making a medical vocational determination, which results in more disability approvals.
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