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 have strong medical records, you may qualify for disability automatically by meeting the description of an impairment listed in the SSA Blue Book.
How Social Security Considers Multiple Impairments When Making Disability Decisions
When considering whether you qualify for disability, Social Security needs to evaluate all your medical conditions together.
How Social Security Judges Your Physical or Mental Capacity (RFC) for Work
Your residual functional capacity (RFC) is an important part of a Social Security disability determination.
What Does Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) Mean for Social Security?
Substantial gainful activity is the level of work that a person without a disability can do.
Will Social Security Deny You Disability If You Have Transferable Job Skills?
Learn what transferable skills are, which jobs impart transferable skills, and what happens when Social Security says that you can use those skills at another job.
Why Semi-Skilled and Unskilled Jobs Matter for SSDI and SSI
Learn how Social Security defines unskilled work, semi-skilled work, and skilled work.
Can Obesity Qualify You for Disability?
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 Affects 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?
You can't get disability for substance use disorder alone, but Social Security can't penalize you by denying you disability benefits for abusing drugs or alcohol.
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.