How do you prove to the Social Security Administration in a Tennessee disability case that you can’t work anymore?

Many of the people who visit our Jackson or Milan Tennessee offices ask us, “Am I eligible for Tennessee Social Security disability benefits?” We tell them that the factors that count the most in determining whether one is eligible for Social Security disability benefits are age, education, recent jobs, and most important, ability to work.

The Social Security Administration has a complex set of rules and guidelines that it uses to decide whether or not a claimant’s limitations prevent that person from working, and our Tennessee disability clients often need help in this area.

The Social Security regulations include quite a few specially defined terms, and several of these come into play in the determination of whether or not you still have the ability to work. The Social Security Administration analyzes what it calls your “residual functional capacity” and then gets testimony from a Vocational Expert about whether or not you are still able to do any of your “past relevant work” or even “other work.”

Working through these claim procedure requirements can be complex, but we can help you with the process.

What factors does the Tennessee Social Security Administration look at in determining your ability to work?

When it is looking at whether or not you can work in a Tennessee disability case, the Social Security Administration looks at two types of jobs. First is your “past relevant work,” meaning jobs that you have had in the past 15 years. After that it looks at “other work,” which means any kind of work, whether or not you have ever done it before.

To evaluate whether you can do any of the jobs that you have done in the past, the Tennessee Social Security Administration may ask for testimony from a Vocational Expert, who will offer his or her opinion about whether your condition prevents you from doing any job that you have held in the past 15 years.

To evaluate whether you can do any other work, the Tennessee Social Security Administration may again seek the opinion of a Vocational Expert, but this time will ask whether you can adjust to other work. When the Vocational Expert gives an opinion about this, he or she is supposed to consider not only your impairment but also your age, education, and work experience.

How does your age make a difference in a Tennessee disability case?

Your age is very significant in the Social Security Administration’s determination of whether or not you can adjust to other work. In one of its regulations, the Social Security Administration has clearly said “we consider advancing age to be an increasingly limiting factor in the person’s ability to make such an adjustment.”

The Social Security Administration groups claimants into six age categories: below 45, from 45 through 49, from 50 through 54, from 55 through 59, from 60 through 64, and over 64. The older you are, the more likely that the Social Security Administration will decide that you are not able to work.

What are the work levels?

When the Tennessee Social Security Administration makes its determination about your “residual functional capacity” (what you are capable of doing notwithstanding the limitation of your impairment), it considers three different work levels: sedentary work, light work, and medium work. There are several ways to measure these different levels, and one of these ways is the level of exertion.

The Social Security Administration regulations define the exertion for these levels as follows:

• Sedentary work involves lifting no more than 10 pounds at a time and occasionally lifting or carrying articles like docket files, ledgers and small tools.
• light work involves lifting no more than 20 pounds at a time with frequent lifting or carrying of objects weighing up to 10 pounds.
• Medium work involves lifting no more than 50 pounds at a time with frequent lifting or carrying of objects weighing up to 25 pounds.

As experienced Tennessee disability lawyers, we can help with these Social Security disability claims

Tennessee Social Security disability cases that involve issues relating to “residual functional capacity” and evaluations of your ability to work can be complicated because of the complex definitions and requirements. Skilled assistance is essential.

If you are not already represented by a Tennessee Social Security disability attorney, contact us for an evaluation of your Tennessee disability case.

You may email or call our office, or fill out the form to the right.

Teel & Maroney, P.L.C.
Tennessee disability attorneys
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Teel & Maroney, P.L.C.

The Utley Latimer Building
425 E. Baltimore Street
Jackson, Tennessee 38301
Telephone: 731-424-3315
Toll-Free: 1-800-892-3591
Fax: 731-424-3501