Applying for SSD? Why Work Experience Matters

If you are disabled and no longer able to work, you may consider applying for Social Security disability (SSD) benefits. The first step will be filling out the Social Security disability application. To fill out the application, you will have to describe your position and duties at your current job as well as at any past jobs.
You may wonder why your past work experience matters. After all, it’s the job that you have now that you are unable to do. In fact, when the Social Security Administration (SSA) considers your ability to work, they consider more than your ability to remain in your current position. They look at your age, education, and past work experience in order to determine if there is any other kind of work that you can do given your disability.
The Social Security Administration looks at all the jobs that you held for pay in the past 15 years. They will determine if you have the ability to do that work given your disability and whether work is still being done in today’s economy. They will not consider your ability to find a job doing that work.
For example, your disability may mean that you are physically unable to do the strenuous work necessary in your construction job, but still able to work if you sit down. The SSA may look at your work history and see that you once did specialty cabinet making. They may decide that you can do the less strenuous job of fine woodworking, even if there is not a high demand for work in your area.
Were you denied SSI or SSDI benefits? The truth is that most people are denied the first time they apply, even those who are eventually approved. A Dallas SSI attorney can help you get the benefits you need. To learn more, contact the Rasansky Law Firm at (214) 651-6100.