How Social Security Decides If You’re Disabled

When filing a claim for disability, the Social Security Administration (SSA) first needs to deem you disabled. Unfortunately, there is more to the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) process than merely saying, “I am disabled.” As a disability law firm in Kansas City, we get asked all the time about what the SSA looks at to decide whether or not a person is disabled. How social security decides if you’re disabled:

The SSA requires a full job history within the past 15 years, including titles, descriptions, physical demands, and when your disability started to affect your performance. Basically, the SSA focuses primarily on your work, not your disability. Social Security disability lawyers in Kansas City will explain two work requirements the SSA looks at: past work and other work.

Past Work

After looking at your list of previously held jobs, the SSA will assess whether or not you can perform any job you once were able to before you became disabled. If you can, then you will not qualify for SSDI.

However, because it can be so easy for the SSA to claim you can do other work, the disability appeal process in Kansas City may have a vocational expert assess behavioral and personal factors like age, education level, and medical limitations to testify against the denied claim.

Other Work

If concluding you cannot perform any previously held job after reviewing past work, the SSA will then determine if there is other work you would be able to do. Other work can be pretty much anything you can think of. The SSA attempts to see if any jobs exist that you haven’t performed before that you would be able to do. Similar to past work, the SSA will look into prior job skills and experience, education, and age.

If you are wondering, “How do I file for disability in Kansas City” or need help in receiving disability benefits because of a denied claim, call the disability lawyers in Kansas City at BurnettDriskill. Your disability attorney in Kansas City will do everything for you to win your case. We help those who are unable to help themselves receive the benefits they deserve. For any questions you may have, contact our disability law firm in Kansas City. We are happy to help.