What is a transferable work skill? This concept creates tremendous problems in the determination of whether you are entitled to Social Security Disability benefits. If you look at the Medical-Vocational Guidelines or Grids, you will find a number of odd things.

There are Grids for Sedentary, Light and Medium work and the Grids provide that you will never be found disabled if you have skills that transfer to other jobs in the physical category that exist in the national economy in significant numbers. So, if your are restricted to sedentary work and your skills as a receptionist would transfer to the skills of a phone operator, you are not disabled.

Another odd factor is your age plays a role in transferability of skills, If you are 50 years or older and can only do sedentary work, the whole outcome of your cases depends on whether you have skills that would transfer to sedentary work. But if you are 55 years or older and only do light work, the whole outcome of your case depends on whether you skills transfer to semiskilled or skilled light work.

The older you are, the easier it is to show that you skills are not transferable to other jobs.

If your work was unskilled, SSA presumes that you have no transferable skills. Transferable skills becomes an issue if you have done semiskilled or skilled work in the past.

We will illustrate how the Grids consider of your age, education, transferable skills, and residual functional capacity (RFC) in a future posting so you can actually see how this analysis is done by SSA. For more information, and for more help with your claim, click here or call 727-894-3188.

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You can’t work because of you disability but how do you prove that to the Social Security Administration (SSA)? Most cases are decided by the SSA at Hurdle 5: Other Work. SSA applies a Grid evaluation process that looks at your age, education, transferable work skills, and your residual functional capacity (RFC).

Your doctor will hopefully write in your medical records what you can physically do despite your disability. Not all doctors understand the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT) and the Social Security regulation definitions of medium, light, and sedentary work. Perhaps your disability cross over the physical requirements of light and sedentary work. What happens?

The Social Security regulations say that SSA can’t apply one of the Grid rules to your case, unless you are capable of doing a “full or wide range” of work at the exertional level that applies to the applicable Grid. In other words, you must be capable of doing a full or wide range of work at the sedentary, light, or medium level.

You or your representative must understand the definitions of sedentary, light, and medium work so the proper Grid is applied to your case. For more information, and for more help with your claim, click here or call 727-894-3188.

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The last factor in the Grids is your work experience. Do you remember when you filled out your application for Social Security Disability you were asked to list the jobs you held for the 15 years before you became disabled? You were asked about your job duties, what you did, how you did it, and the ins and outs of your job.

Did you think to ask why you were being asked those questions and what that had to do with your claim for Social Security Disability Benefits?

The Social Security Administration (SSA) classifies work as unskilled, semiskilled, and skilled. The Social Security regulations define unskilled work as work that you learned in 30 days. Every thing else is semiskilled or skilled.

One of the most commonly questions asked by SSA is “Are your skills transferable to another job?” If you have done secretarial work and answered the phone, are those phone skills something you could take to another job like a security monitor? Those are the kinds of questions that SSA will be asking in making a disability determination.

So, when you fill out those forms asking about your prior job duties, don’t puff your resume! Be honest about your job and your job duties. Puffing can come back to haunt you if you have to explain to the Administrative Law Judge deciding your case that you really did not have managerial duties or really did not do what you said you did on your application. What do you think that will do to your chances of winning with that Judge? For more information, and for more help with your claim, click here or call 727-894-3188.

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The Grids are just that – a  real Grid. At the top of the Grid is the level of residual functional capacity (RFC) with a list of factors. The first is age and the second is education. The third is previous work experience which I will discuss in my next post.

So why does the Social Security Administration (SSA) want to know far you went in school? Why does that ancient history matter?

Because… the Dictionary of Occupational Titles, that dictionary your English teacher never heard of, looks at the educational level of jobs that exist in the United States economy.

The SSA uses the highest grade you completed in evaluating your educational level. However, SSA will accept evidence that your actual educational level is lower than the actual grade your completed.

So, when you complete your Social Security Disability application be truthful about your ability to read, write,  make change, and your ability to speak English. Be truthful about the highest grade you finished and whether you got a high school diploma. Be truthful, if you where held back, repeated a grade, or where in special classes because of reading difficulties.

While you might find it embarrassing or something you have hidden over the years, it can make the difference in getting your Social Security Disability benefits. For more information, and for more help with your claim, click here or call 727-894-3188.

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You applied for Social Security Disability benefits because you can’t work because of your disability. What does you age have to do with your entitlement to Social Security Disability benefits?

If you are at Hurdle 5: Other Work of the disability evaluation process, your age is an important factor. The Social Security regulations say that the Social Security Administration (SSA) has to consider under the Grids your residual functional capacity, chronological age, education, and work experience.

The Grids lump people together by age brackets and treat those within each age bracket alike. The age groups are 18 to 44, 45 to 49, 50 to 54, 55 to 59 and 60 to 64. Age is not be applied mechanically if you are on the age borderline between age brackets.

It is funny to note that your age is not explained in the regulations as having any relationship to your ability to work. However, we do know that advancing age can make it difficult to learn new things or adapt to new kinds of jobs – like seated computer jobs! It is not the only factor but a limiting factor that SSA will take into consideration in apply the Grids. For more information, and for more help with your claim, click here or call 727-894-3188.

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