The term “disabled” has a specific meaning as defined in Social Security’s regulations. In order to qualify for the receipt of benefits, a claimant essentially must show that they suffer from an impairment or combination of impairment that has rendered them unable to work for 12 months or longer. The regulations provide a more precise and complicated definition of disability, along with a five-step evaluation process that outlines the analysis. Personally, I’ve found that the five-step process provides only limited help in explaining how Social Security will analyze each claim, particularly since there are many important factors omitted by that framework. I developed the following flowchart in order to provide a more complete picture of what factors Social Security considers when deciding whether a claimant is disabled.
Who Qualifies for Disability?
Clearly there is no shortage of issues that could impact the ultimate determination on whether one meets the legal definition of “disabled”. The best way to ascertain the viability of a disability claim is to consult with an attorney that regularly handles disability cases.