Work History Important When Applying For Social Security
When applying for Social Security Disability Income, work history is an important factor in determining your eligibility for benefits.
The Social Security Administration approves and denies claims based on whether or not a claimant is able to work. Social Security Disability is awarded to persons with an ongoing medical condition that hinders job performance. When making disability decisions, examiners look at medical records and what that information says about one’s ability to work. Examiners review the records to help determine what can and can’t be performed because of the impairment (residual functional capacity). Social Security examiners will analyze if a claimant can return to their past work, which could be any job they have performed within the last 15 years and whether or not a claimant can perform some type of other employment for which they are suited based on age, education, skills, and mental or physical limitations. They then examine vocational guidelines to determine if the person can earn a living wage. If a claimant is found by a disability examiner to be capable of working, the claim will be denied.
For example, a person has filed for disability who has worked for 15 years in a very physical job where he is living heavy items all day during the workweek. A physical disability limits him to only light work. His condition is expected to last at least 12 months or longer. Social Security examiners will deem this claimant as unable to return to past work. Remember that receiving Social Security benefits does not mean a person can’t work. In actuality, it means that a disabled person can’t have the ability to work and earn more than a certain threshold of income.
Claimants can improve their chances of receiving benefits by having a solid work history they can report to the examiner. It also helps to provide contact information for former supervisors and to detail all the duties one has performed previously on the job. Former supervisors should discuss all the demands placed from the job as well as skill sets one has acquired.