What are the disability decision-making guidelines used by Social Security?

The Social Security Administration (SSA) uses a 5-step sequential process to decide if a person qualifies for Social Security Disability benefits in Tennessee. The first step is to determine if the person is working and earning more than a certain amount of money. If the earnings amount is too high, the person will not qualify for benefits. The second step is to determine if the person’s condition is “severe.” The SSA considers a disability to be “severe” if it significantly limits a person’s ability to perform basic work activities. The third step is to determine if the person’s condition matches or is equal to one of the medical impairments listed in the SSA’s official list of disabling conditions, known as the “listing of impairments.” If it does, then the person will be considered disabled, according to the SSA’s guidelines. The fourth step is to determine if the person is able to do the work he or she performed in the past despite the medical condition. If the person is able to, then the person will not be eligible for benefits. The final step is to determine if the person can do any other type of work. The SSA will consider a person’s medical condition, age, education, work experience, and other factors when making this determination. If the SSA determines that a person is unable to do any other type of work, then the person will be eligible to receive Social Security Disability benefits.

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