|
What does social security recognize as a disability, or consider to be a disabling impairment? The Social Security Administration recognizes any mental or physical impairment, which has prevented an individual from performing substantial gainful work activity for the past twelve months or which can be expected to prevent substantial gainful work activity for twelve months. In other words, your disabling condition can be practically anything as long as it sufficiently curtails your ability to work (or for children, sufficiently curtails the ability to engage in age-appropriate activities). Also, it should be pointed out that you do not have to wait for an entire year before you take the step of starting a disability application with SSA---if you think your condition will disable you to the extent that you will not be able to work and sustain yourself for a year, go ahead and file. Social Security disability is based on functionality rather than the nature of your specific medical or mental impairments. Social Security medical decisions consider an individual’s medical or mental impairments, work activity, education, age, and residual functional capacity to determine whether an individual is, according to Social Security Administration rules and regulations, disabled. 
Social Security Disability and SSI Disability Information
Disability Advocates Help with Claims Free Case Evaluation |