All DDS offices use a five-step process to determine if someone is disabled:
1. Are you still working? If you are working and making more than $800 per month, you cannot be considered disabled. 2. Is your condition severe? Your impairment must interfere with your work-related activities to be considered severe.3. Is your condition among the list of impairments? SSA maintains a list of impairments for each of the major body systems that are so severe that having these impairments means that you are disabled. Your impairment may also be equal in its severity to one of those impairments, which also means that you are disabled. If your condition does not meet or equal these impairments, we go to the next step. 4. Can you do your past job? We must determine if your impairment prevents you from doing any of the work you performed in the last 15 years. If it does not, your claim will be denied. If it prevents you from doing any past work, we go to the final step. 5. Can you do any other type of work? We look to see if can do any other type of work in the national economy. We take into consideration your age, education and skills that could transfer to other types of work. We also look at the demands of other jobs. If there is no other work you can do, your claim will be approved. If you are found able to do other work, your claim will be denied. Once a decision is made, you will be notified in writing by SSA. If your claim is approved, the notice will show the amount of your benefit and when payments start. If the claim is denied, the notice will provide an explanation.
DDS and the SSA review case samples to ensure quality, accurate and timely claims.
How Disability is Decided ->