How Does the Social Security Administration Define a Disability?

The Social Security Administration has specific requirements for finding that a claimant disabled. For advice on whether you may be considered disabled, call your Ohio Social Security disability attorney to discuss your claim.

To be found disabled, a claimant must have a medically determinable impairment. A medically determinable impairment is a physical or mental impairment that results from anatomical, physiological, or psychological abnormalities which are demonstrable by medically acceptable clinical and laboratory diagnostic techniques. The claimant’s age, education and work experience must be taken into account. The impairment must meet the following requirements:

• Duration. The impairment must be expected to result in the claimant’s death or it must have already lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months.
• Past Work. The impairment must prevent the claimant from performing any past relevant work.
• Future Work. The impairment must prevent the claimant from performing any other substantial gainful work that exists in the economy in significant numbers.

The Social Security Act expressly states that a claimant is not disabled if drug addiction or alcoholism is a material contributing factor to the individual’s impairment.

The Supplemental Security Income program applies this same definition of disability. This program provides a minimum income level to disabled people who do not qualify for Social Security disability benefits.

For advice on whether you may be considered disabled, call Ohio Social Security disability attorneys at Roose & Ressler to discuss your claim.