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Are you unable to maintain gainful employment due to a mental impairment? You may qualify for one or both of disability programs that Social Security administers. Social Security manages two disability programs: Social Security disability and Supplemental Security Income disability. Social Security disability is based upon insured status that is acquired through your earnings (work activity over the course of you lifetime prior to the onset of you disability), and SSI disability is a need-based program (based upon income and resources, much like other social programs) that requires not work activity. Social Security bases its medical disability determination process for both disability programs upon residual functionality. So what is residual functionality? Residual functionality is defined as what a person can do despite limitations imposed upon them by their condition (mental or physical). How does Social Security determine an individual’s residual functional capacity? If an individual has mental impairments such as memory problems, anti –social problems, mental retardation, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or other psychotic conditions, their daily lives will be adversely affected. Social Security evaluates how well an individual with mental impairments copes with routine activities such as shopping, driving, visiting friends or family, paying their bills, counting money, reading, watching TV, household chores, or even personal hygiene in an effort to determine an individual’s residual functional capacity. Additionally, Social Security disability examiners use a detailed mental evaluation form to evaluate what limitations are imposed upon an individual due to their mental impairment. In fact, Social Security is much more concerned about your residual functional capacity (in this case your residual mental functional capacity) than it is concerned about your specific medical diagnosis (depression, anxiety, bipolar, schizophrenia, etc.). Since Social Security bases its medical determinations upon functional capacity rather than specific impairments, a disability case can be won of the basis of any mental or physical impairment as long as an individual’s residual functional capacity precludes meaningful work activity. 
Social Security Disability and SSI Disability Information
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