The disability decision is based on the severity of your symptoms.
Social Security looks very carefully at your symptoms and their severity when making a decision on your claim. The physical symptoms that matter most are:
- How far can you walk?
- How long can you stand?
- What can you lift and carry?
- How long can you sit?
These should be discussed with your doctor and answered with a specific time or distance — “I can walk 5–10 minutes,” or “1–2 blocks,” or “2–3 aisles at the grocery store.” “I can lift 5–10 pounds,” or “a 2-liter bottle of soda,” or “a gallon of milk.” “Not very far” is a useless answer.
The mental symptoms they consider most are:
- How is your memory?
- How is your concentration?
- How is your comprehension?
These should also be discussed with your doctor and answered with a specific examples — “I forget what day it is,” or ” I lost my car keys and found them in the freezer,” or “I can’t follow a movie without rewinding every few minutes,” or ” I can read every word on the page, but don’t understand the page.”
Make sure your doctor carefully documents the problems you’re having in these areas.
The 5-Step Process Used to Decide if You Are Disabled
- Are you working? — If you’re working and earning above Social Security’s monthly substantial gainful activity limit (this changes annually), Social Security will not consider you disabled. There are few exceptions to this rule. If you’re not working, or earning below that limit, Social Security moves to your medical condition.
- Is your medical condition “severe”? — Your condition must be expected to significantly limit basic work activities — like walking, sitting, and remembering — for at least one year. If it’s not that severe, you won’t be considered disabled; if it is, Social Security moves to step three.
- Does your medical condition “meet the Listing of Impairments”? — Social Security maintains a list of conditions and the symptoms you must have to be considered disabled. If you have 9/10 of the symptoms, you are not considered disabled.
- Can you do the work you did before? — If your condition doesn’t prevent you from doing your past work, you won’t be considered disabled. If it does, Social Security moves to step five.
- Can you do any other type of work? — Social Security evaluates your condition, age, education, and work experience to see if you could do other work. If not, you’re considered disabled.