What Are Some Things That Can Prevent Me From Being Awarded SSDI?
Residual Functional Capacity
Unless you are found disabled under the Listing of Impairments for SSDI, you will have to prove that you cannot do any meaningful work at any of your past jobs in order to be found disabled. To evaluate your ability to work, Social Security will evaluate what they call your residual functional capacity, i.e. your physical capacity to do work-related tasks. In making this evaluation, the Social Security Administration will consider medical records, doctor’s opinions, and written descriptions of your limitations from you and other witnesses. Social Security will use the results of this evaluation to determine if you would be able to work at any of your previous jobs. If you are able to return to previous work, Social Security will deny you benefits.
If Social Security finds that you are not able to work at any of your previous jobs, they will use your residual functional capacity assessment results to determine the intensity of the work you can handle, categorizing you as capable of either sedentary, light, or medium work. This category is then cross referenced with your age, education level and work experience to determine your disability status.
“Material” Drug Addiction or Alcoholism
A claimant has can be denied benefits for “material” drug addiction or alcoholism if their disability is sustained by their addiction or alcoholism. If the disability would persist even when the claimant stops abusing drugs and alcohol, then any drug or alcohol addiction is not factored into Social Security’s determination. It doesn’t even matter if the disability was caused by drug addiction or alcoholism.
Consider an alcoholic suffering from cirrhosis. If the cirrhosis would heal if he stopped drinking, the Social Security Administration would find him ineligible for benefits. But if that individual's cirrhosis is so advanced that it would not go away if he stopped drinking, the Social Security would grant him benefits regardless of the fact that he continues to drink.
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