The Key to Social Security Disability

You need to keep this in mind when answering questions from the Judge and your lawyer.

The kind of conditions you have are not as important as the limitations.

For instance, a successful back surgery is probably not going to result in disability.

However, a back surgery with permanent restrictions of lifting 10 pounds, limited standing, and heavy doses of pain medications are likely to result in a finding of disability.

Questions about your daily activities and ability to perform chores are used to gauge your ability to perform work like tasks.

Questions about things you used to be able to do and what you can do now are used to determine what impact your conditions have on functioning.

You must remember that the core parts of a job from Social Security’s view are: sitting, standing, walking, lifting, use of your hands for grasping and manipulating, use of your arms for reaching, and concentrating on tasks throughout the work day.

Pain is a factor because it may limit your ability to perform these key factors.

Your limitations must be believable.

Limitations are made believable through repeated trips to your doctors with ongoing complaints of your problems and how they restrict your daily activities.