The definition of disability in the eyes of the Social Security Administration is very strict. As far as the SSA are concerned you are entitled to Social Security disability insurance of Supplementary Security Income if you can prove that you cannot perform substantial gainful activity (SGA) due to a mental or physical disability that is expected to have a duration of 12 months minimum or it is anticipated the disability will result in death. That is the definition now comes the hard part, meeting it.
One sure way of meeting the definition as described is for the disability to be included in the Social Security “Blue Book” which is the listing of acceptable impairments. If you meet or exceed the level of severity you approval is almost guaranteed. The Blue Book contains the descriptions of hundreds of acceptable conditions, anything from AIDS to personality disorders and hundreds more in-between. If you can satisfy the criteria that are laid down by the SSA you will be granted immediate approval.
Now, what happens if you don’t meet the criteria and the fact is; most don’t, this is precisely why disappointed applicants turn immediately to a disability claim lawyer in Charlotte to help them qualify, they know they are suffering from a disabling condition so severe that it makes it impossible for them to work and earn a living wage to support themselves and their family.
The disability lawyer will work with the client, pulling together a dossier of the jobs the applicant has held over the last 15 years, this will allow the administration to review the skills of the applicant to see if you might be able to perform a different task to the one you have most recently been doing. The administration may very well decide that you cannot do your current work but that you have the skills required to do other work. It is important to underline that to do other work the applicant must have the necessary skills, education that are required as well as be physically fit to such work.
Medical details:
When the application for disability benefits is being prepared it is of vital importance that all impairments and conditions must be listed and included with the application. A listing of all the doctors, clinics, hospitals; therapists etc that have been involved with your treatment must also accompany the application. It may be necessary to get a certification from the attending physician stating how the condition limits the applicant’s ability and activities.
Even with all this supporting information and meeting the medical and non-medical requirements, approval of benefits is far from automatic. It is very much the norm that the application will be denied at which time your disability claim lawyer in Charlotte will appeal the decision.
