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    How the Social Security Disability Program Views Different Types of Work

    When the Social Security Disability program tries to evaluate your ability to work, it divides different types of work into five exertional categories based on physical demands, with “sedentary work” being the least strenuous type.

    If you’re applying for disability benefits because health problems have stopped you from working, the Charleston disability lawyers at Robertson Wendt Disability can tell you how Social Security Administration (SSA) defines sedentary work and how that affects your claim.

    You don’t qualify for benefits just because you can’t do your current or most recent job. You need to show Social Security you can’t do other kinds of work, either.

    This is a hard case to make, especially if a claims examiner believes that your health issues wouldn’t prevent you from switching to easier, sedentary work.

    Robertson Wendt Disability can help you persuade Social Security that your current job isn’t the only problem, and that doing any kind of substantial work with your health issues isn’t possible.

    We have decades of experience handling disability claims. We know this system, and our firm’s founder, disability attorney Robertson Wendt, has a rare certification in disability law.

    This is about your health and your financial future. Don’t leave your claim to chance.

    We’ll work with you from the beginning of this process to help you win the disability benefits you deserve.

    You won’t pay an attorney fee until your claim is approved.

    Get My Free Consultation! »

     

    How Does Social Security Define Sedentary Work?

    You may know what the word “sedentary” means, but it’s important to know exactly how the Social Security Administration defines sedentary work.

    Different types of work require different capabilities. Sedentary work is the lightest category, according to Social Security.

    These are key characteristics of sedentary work:

    • Lifting no more than 10 pounds at a time
    • Only occasionally lifting or carrying small items
    • Being able to use your hands most of the day
    • Long periods of sitting with only small amounts of walking and standing

    Social Security defines four categories as more physically demanding than sedentary work—light, medium, heavy and very heavy.

    When you apply for disability benefits, Social Security will evaluate what it calls your residual functional capacity (RFC) and use that to determine what kind of work you’re capable of doing.

    Your RFC gives a claims examiner an idea of what tasks you can still handle despite your health limitations. It measures both physical and mental capabilities.

    This measurement considers questions about how your health problems affect you on a daily basis, such as:

    • How long can you sit, stand or walk?
    • How much can you lift?
    • How well can you understand and retain information?
    • How well can you concentrate on work?
    • Does your health make everyday tasks, like chores and self-care, more difficult?

    If your RFC assessment shows that you could do sedentary or light work, that makes it harder to win benefits. If your recent past jobs included sedentary or light work, that also makes your case more difficult to win.

    Social Security will analyze whether you have skills that can transfer to jobs with low exertion. Arguing this with Social Security is complicated. Your lawyer can help.

    You need to be clear about your health struggles and have evidence backing up your claim.

    A South Carolina Social Security Disability attorney can help you ensure that you’re giving the SSA all the information it needs to make an accurate and fair evaluation of your everyday capabilities and what kind of work you can do.

    Ask for a FREE Telephone Consultation. »

     

    How Your RFC Affects Your Disability Claim

    A key part of your disability claim is showing that your health problems prevent you from doing any work at all.

    An RFC that indicates you can do sedentary work can be a big obstacle.

    As an example, let’s say an applicant under age 50 works at a highly physical job, always in motion and often lifting heavy objects. They develop a health issue that makes it impossible to keep working that way, so they apply for disability.

    This applicant’s most recent job counts as heavy work, and the claims examiner acknowledges they can no longer perform those job duties.

    But the worker gets denied disability benefits anyway because their RFC assessment determines they can do sedentary work.

    The way Social Security thinks about it, this person doesn’t need financial assistance. They just need a new job.

    Now, your RFC isn’t the only factor in whether you get approved for benefits.

    Your age, education level and skills can also impact your disability claim. Someone over 50 has a better chance of winning benefits because Social Security may decide there are fewer jobs they could adapt to at their age.

    Beyond your ability or inability to do sedentary work, make sure Social Security gets a complete picture of your employment capacity.

    Don’t try to win benefits on your own. Ask one of the most experienced disability law teams in South Carolina to help you make your case to the SSA.

    The team at Robertson Wendt Disability has helped thousands of people in Charleston, Columbia, Beaufort, Florence and across South Carolina secure benefits and get back on steady ground.

    Whether you’re wondering if you qualify for Social Security Disability, you’re ready to apply, or you’ve already been denied benefits, we can help you.

    Contact Our South Carolina Disability Lawyers Today. »

     

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