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Someone sent in the following question: How Likely Would I Be To Qualify for Social Security Disability Benefits if I have migraines, depression, and severe fatigue? Social Security disability is based upon an individual’s residual functional capacity (what they are able to perform despite the limitations imposed by their condition or conditions), rather than specific medical and/or mental impairments. For Social Security disability, an individual must be found to be medically disabled, and have been unable to work at any substantial level for twelve months, or expect to be unable to work for twelve months due to their impairment (s). Social Security disability uses a disability impairment handbook that contains impairment listings and the criteria to evaluate these the listing impairments. If you meet or equal the evaluation criteria for depression, or migraines, or any condition listed in the book, you may be approved for Social Security disability. Unfortunately, most individuals who file for Social Security disability do not meet or equal a listing impairment contained in the Social Security disability handbook. However, there is still another possibility for individuals who do not meet or equal impairment listings to qualify for Social Security disability. Many individuals may be approved for Social Security disability benefits through a medical vocational disability allowance. This type of allowance makes the disability process more flexible for disability examiners and administrative law judges, which more often leads to more disability approvals. So what factors are considered when making a medical vocational allowance? An individual’s residual functional capacity, age, education and past work history are considered along with medical information to determine if an individual is disabled under the rules and guidelines of Social Security disability. Most medical vocational disability approvals are received at an administrative law judge hearing. Actually, two thirds of all individuals who have an administrative law judge hearing are approved for disability benefits. So if an individual is denied for disability at the initial disability claim level, they should consider appealing their disability claim through the hearings level. Without knowing someone’s personal information it would be hard to predict what their chances of qualifying for disability might be based upon their specific impairments as it would depend upon the severity of the impairments and what an individual’s residual functional capacity is. However, it stands to reason if an individual is unable to work that they should file for Social Security or Supplemental Security Income disability and, if necessary, follow the disability appeal process all the way to an administrative law judge hearing. 
Social Security Disability and SSI Disability Information
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