When pursuing Social Security Disability (SSDI) benefits, it is not just about proving that you’re medically unable to perform your current occupation. It goes beyond that. The overarching criterion is your medical condition’s extent of interference with work-specific tasks.
Even if it’s evident you can’t continue with your current role, the Social Security Administration (SSA) expands its lens, exploring alternative employment avenues you might still undertake despite your condition. It does so by evaluating the expertise level of your prior roles, aiming to pinpoint potential alternative jobs aligning with your health status.
A pivotal step in the SSDI application process is accurately detailing your job responsibilities. This information becomes the foundation upon which the SSA categorizes the skill intensity of your profession. Collaborating with a specialized attorney, like those at PLBH, will ensure a comprehensive job description, encompassing all tasks performed and the duration required for mastery.
SSA’s Skill Level Categorizations: An Overview
The SSA typically employs three skill levels to guide their evaluations. These levels resonate with the job’s complexity and the timeframe required for proficiency:
- Unskilled: Jobs under this category are straightforward, demanding minimal judgment. Characterized by basic tasks, these roles can usually be learned within a month and often necessitate physical strength. Such jobs don’t generally enhance specialized work capabilities.
- Semi-Skilled: Here, although tasks aren’t highly intricate, they do demand certain specialized skills. This can encompass attention to detail, adept coordination, or enhanced manual dexterity. Roles demanding repetitive actions typically fall under this segment. Acquiring expertise in these jobs generally spans three to six months.
- Skilled: Skilled roles command judgment application combined with proficiency in specific mechanical or manual operations. Such knowledge usually finds its utility in service provision or product creation. It could also entail collaborations with colleagues or engagement with ideas and data.
The Significance of Specific Vocational Preparation (SVP)
The SSA employs the Specific Vocational Preparation (SVP) rating system, pivoting on the duration of a worker’s training. Jobs are streamlined into the aforementioned categories. While unskilled jobs demand up to a month’s training, semi-skilled roles require between one to six months. Skilled jobs mandate a training period exceeding six months. The SSA’s strategy involves leveraging the SVP to discern potential alternative employment, consistent with your medical condition, that aligns with or is lower than your past job’s skill level. Hence, higher skill categorizations by the SSA might make securing benefits more challenging.
How PLBH Can Navigate This For You
Navigating the SSDI application maze requires adept legal guidance. With PLBH, you get the expertise of professionals who’ve dedicated over four decades to aiding individuals with disabilities in procuring SSA benefits. Get in touch with us at (800) 435-7542 for an initial consultation, and let’s begin your journey together.