Social Security Disability Information

The Social Security Administration may examine health history and documents from physicians and other medical professionals. It will also review data provided by each applicant detailing his or her everyday activities. These forms of physical disabilities include the inability to walk for long distances, the inability to bend, raise, or twist on a daily basis, and the inability to focus. The SSA will also give out applications to the applicant's family and associates to record the applicant's social functioning disabilities. The majority of the applications would entail a review of the SSA's "residual functional capability (RFC)." The RFC is a list of physical activities that an individual may participate in despite medical restrictions.

Following the SSA's determination of the RFC, an audit is conducted to determine if there are substantial positions in the economy that meet those constraints. The SSA has proposed the proverbial "ticket-taker" or "light duty inspection" jobs at this stage. Benefits are generally refused if these light jobs are not suitable for the claimant's context. The applicant's age is also very significant. If an applicant is under the age of 50, it is presumed that he or she can easily adapt to any new form of “light duty” or “sedentary” career. However, after the age of 50, age is seen as a significant barrier to finding new work, and after the age of 55, it is even more important. As a result, the older a person is when they apply, the easier it is to demonstrate a lack of ability to perform jobs and thus obtain benefits.