You may be shocked to learn that the Social Security Administration (SSA) does not recognize every type of disability as deserving of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. And even if you do identify your diagnosed disability on the Administration’s enforced list, you may submit to the fact that the degree of your condition is not categorized as sufficiently severe. Well, with that being said, please read on to discover whether your disability is serious enough to claim benefits and how a seasoned attorney in SSDI eligibility in New Jersey, at The Law Offices of Sheryl Gandel Mazur, can help you prove this to the SSA.
How serious does my disability need to be to claim SSDI benefits?
Contrary to what you may initially assume, the SSA’s determination of your disability’s seriousness is not at all subjective. Rather, the Administration bases its final judgment on solidified factors. First, your medically determinable disability must be serious enough to prevent you from returning to your previous work or finding any other type of work existing in the national economy.
Second, your disability must be serious enough to be expected to last for a continuous period of at least 12 months, during which you may be unable to work. Or, it must be predicted to result in death.
Lastly, your disability must be serious enough to prevent you from earning over a certain income level. This is otherwise known as substantial gainful activity (SGA). As of 2025, the SGA cap is set at $1,620 per month, or $2,700 per month if your medically determinable disability is blindness.
How do I prove the seriousness of my disability to the SSA?
It is one thing to provide the SSA with medical evidence that a professional has diagnosed you with a physical, mental, or emotional disability. But there is another layer in demonstrating that your detected disability is severe enough to constitute the necessity of SSDI benefits. With this, you must submit to and provide evidence of functional capacity evaluations conducted by your treating physicians and specialists.
These evaluations essentially disclose the extent of your functional limitations. For example, how long you can walk around, stand up, or sit down, whether you can lift heavy objects or carry anything in general, how well you can concentrate and retain information, and much more. Further, your evaluating physicians and specialists may offer statements as to how these limitations significantly hinder your ability to perform daily tasks independently and execute work-related tasks well enough.
Understandably, this may all seem like a headache when you are already going through an overwhelming time. Well, to alleviate some of the pent-up stress, please turn to the legal aid of a competent attorney in SSDI eligibility in New Jersey. Contact our office, The Law Offices of Sheryl Gandel Mazur, right now; someone will be more than happy to speak with you.
