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Showing posts from October, 2024

5 Step Analysis in SSDI and SSI Claims:

  Disability is defined as the inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment or combination of impairments that can be expected to result in death or that has lasted or can be expected to last for at least 12 consecutive months.  This standard is analyzed in 5 steps :   Step 1 – Substantial Gainful Activity:   First, the Social Security Administration (SSA) wants to know if a person is still working.  If someone is working and earning a certain amount each month, SSA will consider them to not be disabled, regardless of any actual disability.  A person will not be able to receive benefits while they are currently engaging in substantial work.   Step 2 – “Severe” Medically Determinable Impairment:   SSA then determines whether a person has a “severe” impairment.  For an impairments to be “severe” it must significantly limit a person’s ability to perform basi...