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Disability Programs
Who is Eligible?
SSA's Evaluation Method
List of Impairments
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SSA's Evaluation Method
The Social Security Administration uses a five step process to assess disabilities. This process is referred to as the Sequential Evaluation Process. A claimant must meet the first step in order to move on to the following steps. Once it is determined the claimant does not qualify, the examiner will not move to the following steps and the claim will be denied.
Sequential Evaluation Process defined:
Step 1: Is the applicant working?
If a person is working and their earnings average more than a certain amount each month, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will not consider them disabled.
Step Two: Is the applicant's medical condition severe?
To qualify, medical conditions must significantly limit the ability to perform basic work activities for at least one year. If the medical condition is not that severe, the state agency will not consider the applicant disabled.
Step Three: Is the applicant's condition on the list of impairments?
The applicant's condition is then looked up on a List of Impairments that are automatically defined by law as "severe". If the condition (or conditions) is not on the list, then it is compared to conditions on the list. If the severity meets or equals the listed impairments, benefits are granted.
Step Four: Can the applicant do work they did before the disability?
If the condition is not listed or cannot be compared to a condition on the List of Impairments, the next step is to determine if the applicant can work as they did before the disability. If the person cannot perform the same type of employment, the applicant goes onto the next step.
Step Five: Can the applicant do any other type of work?
If the applicant cannot work as they did in the past, other types of employment are evaluated. At this step, the applicant's medical condition, age, education, past work experience and skills are assessed.
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