Monthly Archives: August 2020
How an Improper “Residual Functional Capacity” Assessment May Affect Your Disability Claim
Social Security follows a five-step process when assessing a claim for disability benefits. The final two steps involve analyzing what jobs, if any, the claimant could perform given their physical and mental limitations. In step four, a Social Security administrative law judge (ALJ) will determine the claimant’s “residual functional capacity” (RFC); that is, what… Read More »
How Social Security Is Supposed to Assess a “Severe Impairment” When Reviewing a Disability Application
There are five steps that Social Security goes through when assessing an application for disability insurance benefits. The first step is to determine the applicant’s financial eligibility–that is, whether or not they are working and earning income above a certain minimum threshold. Assuming the applicant is not earning too much income, Social Security then… Read More »
How Does the “Episodic Nature” of Bipolar Disorder Affect a Claim for Disability Benefits?
Bipolar disorder is a serious, lifelong mental impairment that causes frequent bouts of depression. By its very nature, bipolar disorder is unpredictable. A person can feel fine for an extended period of time in between manic episodes. This unpredictability can often make it challenging, however, for individuals with bipolar disorder to obtain Social Security… Read More »