Readers in the Los Angeles area who are familiar with previous posts on this blog know that there are quite a few requirements that need to be met in order to qualify to receive Social Security Disability benefits. There are medical requirements, which a person can meet by showing documentation of their illness or injury, typically consisting of medical records.
But simply suffering from a debilitating injury or illness isn’t enough. An applicant who is trying to qualify to receive Social Security Disability benefits needs to show that they have a complete inability to work. In Part I of this multi-part series, we will take a look at how the Social Security Administration makes a determination about a person’s ability to work.
In order for the Social Security Administration to make a determination about a person’s ability to work, they need to know about the applicant’s previous occupation. This means more than simply informing the SSA about your job title – they need to know how you did your job. Did you move around a lot? Were you required to do any heavy lifting? Did you drive? The SSA needs to know not only what you did, but how you did it.
The information provided by the applicant needs to show that they are unable to return to their previous position of employment. But, as many people know, that isn’t enough to qualify for SSD benefits. The applicant must be unable to adjust to any other form of employment. In the next part of this series, we will take a look at those requirements.
Source: SSA.gov, “Information We Need About Your Work and Education,” Accessed June 27, 2015
