The Social Security Administration’s five-step evaluation process to determine disability benefit eligibility

The Social Security Administration uses a five-step process to evaluate whether or not you are disabled for purposes of Social Security disability benefits. These five steps are taken in a specific sequence, so that if you do not satisfy one step then the process is over and the Social Security Administration does not go on to the other steps because it has determined at that point that you do not qualify for disability benefits.

The first step is to establish that you are not currently engaging in “substantial gainful activity.” By this phrase, the Social Security Administration means “work,” and through further definitions it carefully describes what “substantial” and “gainful” mean.

The second step has two parts: first, the Social Security Administration considers whether the impairment from your disability is sufficiently severe. Second, it determines whether your impairment has lasted long enough to qualify (the impairment must be expected to result in death, or have lasted for 12 months, or be expected to last for 12 months).

The third step is an evaluation of whether your medical signs and symptoms either meet or equal one of a set of medical signs and symptoms identified in the Social Security Administration’s “Listing of Impairments.” If you are found disabled at this third step then you qualify for disability benefits, but if you are not found disabled at this step then you must go on to steps four and five.

The fourth step is an assessment of your “residual functional capacity” and your “past relevant work.” Both of these phrases have special definitions, but the general idea is that you must convince the Social Security Administration that you are not capable of doing any work that you have done in the last 15 years.

The fifth step is similar to the fourth step in that it involves an evaluation of your “residual functional capacity.” However, for the fifth step the question is whether you are able to do any other work.

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