The Social Security Administration has a five-step disability process for evaluating applications for Social Security disability and SSI. Here's how it works.
Qualifying for Disability Benefits for a Listed Impairment
If you are applying for disability benefits with the Social Security Administration (SSA), you may qualify on the basis of medical evidence alone if you are not working and you have an impairment t
How Social Security Considers Multiple Impairments When Making Disability Decisions
Many applicants for Social Security disability benefits have several different medical issues that are preventing them from working.
How Social Security Judges Your Physical or Mental Capacity (RFC) for Work
Your residual functional capacity (RFC) determines whether you are disabled and should receive disability benefits.
What Is Substantial Gainful Activity (Work) to Social Security?
Substantial gainful activity is the level of work that a person without a disability can do.
When Social Security Will Deny You Disability Because Your Past Job Skills Are Transferable
If your past work was considered skilled or semiskilled, you're applying for disability benefits, you should understand how having transferable skills could impact your chances of a successful disa
Unskilled Work, Semi-Skilled Work, and Skilled Work: Past Jobs and Social Security Disability
If you've applied for disability benefits and Social Security agrees you can't do your past work, the agency will look at the skill levels of your past jobs to assess whether there are other simi
How Does Obesity Affect My Disability Case?
While obesity alone rarely qualifies for disability benefits, obesity can help you get benefits if it adds to the limitations you suffer from other medical conditions.
Getting Social Security Disability Benefits for Back Problems
Degenerative disc disease, herniated discs, and spinal stenosis all have different chances of getting approved for disability benefits.
When Using Drugs or Alcohol Can Keep You From Getting Disability Benefits
Social Security can deny you disability benefits when your impairments would go away if you stopped drinking or using drugs,
How Drug or Alcohol Abuse Will Affect a Mental Disability Claim
Can disability applicants with mental disorders who abuse medication, drugs, or alcohol still get disability benefits? It depends.
Can You Get Social Security Disability Benefits if You Have Drug Addiction or Alcoholism?
A disability applicant recently asked "Why did Social Security deny me for using drugs/alcohol – I have relatives who got disability benefits for drug addiction/alcoholism." This question shows a misunderstanding of Social Security's stance on drug addiction and alcoholism on two counts. How Social
How Does an Addiction to Prescribed Narcotics Affect Disability Benefits?
Dependency on prescribed narcotics won't keep you from getting disability, assuming you have a severe medical impairment other than drug addiction.
Nolo's Guide to Social Security Disability
Written by a former SSA medical consultant, Nolo's Guide to Social Security Disability is the essential book for learning about the disability process, and can be helpful whether you hire or lawyer or not.