Social Security Disability pays benefits to people who cannot work because they have a medical condition that is expected to last at least one year or result in death. Federal law requires this very strict definition of disability.
One of the main things that the Springfield Missouri Social Security Office will look at in addition to the medical and/or mental conditions is the claimant’s Past Relevant Work. Past Relevant Work are the jobs the claimant had for the 15 years prior to the application. The reviewers at the Springfield Social Security Field Office will review these jobs to see if you could still do the easiest job in your Past Relevant Work history and what, if any, transferable skills you may have acquired.
This part of the application is very important because it gives you the claimant the opportunity to define what exactly their jobs have been. The problem I see in many SSDI appeals that I handle is the claimant treated this as a “job application” and tried to make their jobs sound as important as possible. For example the fact that your job had the word “manager” in the title does not mean the your actual job duties would qualify as having management functions under the Dictionary of Occupational Titles, which the Social Security Administration uses to define jobs.
There are a numerous of problems with the Dictionary of Occupational Titles that are far too extensive for this discussion. One main problem is that many jobs are hard to define on paper. Essentially you are trying to put a round peg in a square hole. Regardless, these are the rules that claimants and Social Security Disability Lawyers must operate under.
Were you doing a lot of lifting as the manager or foreman? Was your job essentially the same as everyone else that you oversaw? Did you hire and fire other employees? Maybe you were not actually a manager. It is important to discuss the physical aspects of the job on the application.
Other common Missouri Social Security Disability filing mistakes I see:
Overestimating or Underestimating the amounts you frequently lifted as part of the job.
Not listing physical demands of a job that may appear fairly sedentary.
Underestimating the amount of time each day you stand.
Underestimating the amount of time each day you are reaching.
Most initial claims will still be denied, however you will have helped you appeal by being as accurate and consistent as possible from the early part of your SSD claim.
For additional help after a claim has been denied feel free to contact my office. It does not cost you anything to call and schedule an appointment with me.
The Krebs Law Firm LLC offers a free case evaluation if you have questions about your Social Security disability claim. Many people may be worried that they do not have the money to pay for a disability attorney, but we only handle Social Security cases on a contingent fee basis. In other words, there is no fee unless we are successful in getting you the benefits that you deserve. If you would like to speak to Jason Krebs and his staff simply call (417) 883-5886 for your free case evaluation or to discuss your appeal today! Do not delay as you only have 60 days to file your appeal or ask for a reconsideration if you live in Kansas, Arkansas or Oklahoma.
If you would like more information about the Social Security disability application process or the appeals process, please request one of my FREE ebook reports.
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