Qualifying for Social Security Disability is virtually automatic if you have a listed impairment. Most likely you will not need an attorney if you have a listed impairment.  HOWEVER, YOU WILL STILL HAVE TO DOCUMENT YOUR IMPAIRMENT.  THIS IS NOT ALWAYS EASY.  If you are unable to document your impairment yourself the time factor associated with a delay in presenting your evidence may make obtaining an attorney worthwhile.

Medical Vocational Allowance

A Medical Vocational Allowance will allow you be be approved for Social Security Disability benefits if your condition is not found on prescribed list of impairments.  (You must still document your condition and tie that impairment to your inability to work.  A Residual Functional Capacity Report is the bridge between incapacity and disability.)

You past work or vocation will be examined including what it took to do that work.

RFC Report and RFC Forms

Residual Functional Capacity Report (RFC) prepared by your treating physician and/or your mental health care professional will document your diminished abilities attributable to your medical condition and your ability to work in your field.

A Residual Functional Capacity Assessment will advise the Social Security Administration of whether you are capable of sedentary work, light work, or medium work. (See Sample)

The RFC Assessment determines your work limits. Once your work limits are determined with the help of your treating physicians and mental health professionals the Social Security Administration representatives will determine whether you are capable of returning to work.

Sedentary, Light, Medium, Heavy Work

If you once did medium work and it is determined now you can only do light work the Social Security Administration will determine if you are able to participate in “other work”. The Disability Examiner will determine whether you can switch to “other work.”

“Other work” has to be within your physical limits, which means it you are capable of doing light work, then “other work” must be classified as “light work.” Many times “other work” must be a specific job to which YOUR job skills will apply.

You may be turned down for social security benefits if the examiner finds that you are capable of doing “other work”.

Over Fifty and Social Security Disablity

If you are in your fifties Social Security considers the fact that a transfer of work skills is not as easy as it is for a younger person.

Simple Routine Repetitive Tasks are often limited by an individual’s conditions such as depression or anxiety, or learning problems, the disability examiner will sometimes find that the individual is incapable of performing “simple routine repetitive tasks”.

When an individual is found to be incapable of SRRT’s, Disability Determination Services will have trouble sending that person to “other work”.

Mental Impairments and Social Security Disabilty

Mental Impairments of depression, or anxiety, or any other “mental” impairment, in addition your physical problems, must be documented by a mental health professional including a psychiatrist.