When you submit your application for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), you may wonder why you are asked about your past work. The reason is, when determining whether you are disabled Social Security (SSA) looks at your conditions, your age, your education, and your past work history.
When reviewing your file, the SSA examiner will decide your physical and mental capabilities and limitations, based on the medical evidence available in your file. This determination is known as your residual functional capacity (RFC) rating.
The examiner uses that RFC rating to determine whether you can return to your past work. For example, if they find you can currently perform work at the light level, they will look to see what type of work you performed in the past to compare. If you used to perform medium work (i.e., lifted up to 25 pounds frequently and 50 pounds occasionally), you would not be able to return to your past work.
When looking at your past work, SSA is typically looking at the jobs you have done in the last fifteen years. Therefore, explaining the physical and mental demands of each of your prior jobs is important to allow the examiner to make their finding of disability.
Depending on your age and education, if you are found to be unable to return to your past work, this may be enough to direct a finding of disability. However, it must also be determined that you cannot adjust to other work.
If you have questions about the SSDI or SSI process, contact a lawyer today.