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Whether you are capable of performing your “past relevant work” may be an issue in your Social Security disability case.  If the answer is yes, you will not be disabled.  In general, “past relevant work,” includes all jobs you did during the past 15 years for long enough to learn how to do them (generally 30 days). When your ability to do former jobs is an issue, the administrative law judge will be interested in the answer to these three questions: What are the physical and mental demands of your former work as you actually performed it? What are the physical and mental demands of your former work as generally required by employers throughout the national economy? Can you meet…Read More

If you have a medically determinable impairment, that is -- your medical records and doctors’ reports illustrate an underlying physical or mental impairment that could reasonably be expected to cause your pain, the Social Security Administration next evaluates the intensity and persistence of your pain to determine how it limits your ability to perform basic work activities. The Social Security Administration will consider all evidence that has been presented including, but not limited to, your medical history and findings and statements from you, your treating physicians, or other persons, regarding how you are affected by your pain. The Social Security Administration will also consider medical opinions of doctors who have treated or examined you. In addition to objective medical evidence,…Read More

The success of your Florida Social Security disability case may depend on how good a job your Ocala disability attorney does in preparing you to testify.  Your Ocala disability attorney must prepare you to describe details about how your impairment affects your daily activities.  The details you provide in your testimony can often what tips the decision in your favor. At your hearing, the administrative law judge will ask you about your activities. If you testify that you can perform a wide range of activities (walking, shopping, laundry, gardening, cooking and cleaning, going on vacations, etc.), the judge may find that you are not disabled because you are able to do too much. Even though it may initially appear that…Read More

If you are not yet 50 years old, you will very likely need to convince the Social Security Administration that you can’t do most sedentary jobs in order to obtain benefits. Limitations in your ability to stand, walk, sit, and use your hands and fingers, as discussed in the preceding posts, may establish that you cannot do sedentary work.  Other limitations that can be important in proving your inability to perform sedentary work include visual limitations, environmental restrictions, and various other medical conditions. Visual limitations Working with small objects is required in most sedentary unskilled occupations. The number of sedentary jobs you can do will be significantly reduced if you have a visual limitation that prevents you from seeing small…Read More

Social Security disability claimants under the age of 50 typically must prove that they are incapable of performing most sedentary jobs. Mental and emotional problems, either alone or in conjunction with physical limitations, may severely restrict the sedentary jobs a claimant is capable of handling. Sedentary jobs are the least physically strenuous types of work.  But they still require some ability to sit, stand, lift, carry, and manipulate objects.  As discussed in previous posts, significant limitations in these areas may lead to a finding of disabled. In addition to physical abilities, all jobs, even sedentary jobs required certain mental abilities.  To be capable of performing any competitive, paid work, an individual must be able to: Respond appropriately to supervisors, co-workers,…Read More

To qualify for Social Security disability benefits if you are under the age of 50, you will likely need to prove you cannot perform most sedentary jobs.  Sedentary work is the physically easiest type of work recognized by the Social Security Administration.  Even so, sedentary jobs require the ability to sit for extended periods and do some walking and standing.  As discussed in the previous post, sitting, walking, and standing limitations can significantly reduce the number of sedentary jobs you can perform. Sedentary jobs also typically require a certain capacity to manipulate objects with the hands and fingers.  Proof that you lack the requisite dexterity can help to establish that there are few sedentary jobs that you can perform. Specifically,…Read More

Sedentary work is the least physically demanding type of work recognized by the Social Security Administration. Most applicants for Florida Social Security disability benefits who are under the age of 50 and can speak and read English will need to prove that they are unable to perform a wide range of sedentary work in order to qualify for disability benefits. What is sedentary work? The Social Security Administration generally defines sedentary work as work that requires: Lifting no more than 10 pounds at a time; Occasionally lifting or carrying articles like docket files, ledgers, and small tools; Periods of standing or walking that generally total no more than about 2 hours of an 8-hour workday; Periods of sitting that generally…Read More

To qualify for Social Security disability benefits if you are under the age of 50, you will likely need to prove you cannot perform most sedentary jobs.  Sedentary work is the physically easiest type of work recognized by the Social Security Administration.  Even so, sedentary jobs require the ability to sit for extended periods and do some walking and standing.  As discussed in the previous post, sitting, walking, and standing limitations can significantly reduce the number of sedentary jobs you can perform. Sedentary jobs also typically require a certain capacity to manipulate objects with the hands and fingers.  Proof that you lack the requisite dexterity can help to establish that there are few sedentary jobs that you can perform. Specifically,…Read More

A common question from claimants after a favorable decision is “When will I be eligible for Medicare?’  Medicare will be available to you after you have received Social Security disability benefits for 24 months. However, if you would like to sign up for Medicare Part B, you must pay a premium that the SSA will deduct from your monthly check. Depending on your income and assets, you might qualify for other programs that will pay for all, or part, of your Medicare premium or medical expenses that are not covered by Medicare. Check with your county welfare department to see if you might qualify for any of these programs. If you have health coverage through a spouse or due to…Read More

Your credibility is the extent to which your statements regarding your pain can be believed and accepted as true. There are two significant factors that can increase the credibility of your statements concerning your pain: The consistency of your statements to each other and with other information in your case record. All statements made by you regarding your pain that are in your case record will be examined by the Social Security Administration. These include statements made to your doctors that have been recorded in your medical records, statements made in Social Security disability forms and questionnaires that were prepared during the application process, statements made in connection with claims for other types of disability benefits, and testimony at your…Read More