The Listings are a list of medical conditions that the Social Security Administration (SSA) can use to find you disabled. The listings cover different body systems, including mental impairments. The Listings for Adults are found here. The Listings for Children are here.
In order to understand how the listings factor into your disability case, we must discuss the five step sequential evaluation that Social Security uses to make disability determinations:
Step One: Are you working (engaging in substantial gainful activity)?
Step Two: Are your impairments severe?
Step Three: Do you meet or equal a listing?
Step Four: Can you do the work that you used to do?
Step Five: Is there other work that you can do? (Found here and a discussion of the Sequential Evaluation is found here.)
The Listings come into play in Step 3 of the Sequential Evaluation. If you meet a listing, you are found disabled at Step 3 and do not have to go on to the last two steps.
It is very difficult to meet a listing. If you do meet a listing, work has long stopped being an option for you. For example, Listing 1.05, Amputation requires that you have lost both hands, one or both lower extremities and can not use a prosthetic device or either one hand AND one leg to be found disabled. In all reality, if you lose one hand or a leg you probably are going to be severely limited in what you can do physically and mentally (amputees are often affected mentally by their loss). The threshold for meeting this, and most listings, is set way past the level of impairment that can stop you from working.
The SSA Listings for Disability have stringent requirements. Most individuals will have to proceed to Steps 4 and 5 to be found disabled. The Bishop Law Firm is familiar with the SSA Listings for Disability and can evaluate your case to see if you meet a listing. We do not get paid unless you win, so call us today!
Resources:
- http://www.ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/AdultListings.htm
- http://www.ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/ChildhoodListings.htm
- http://www.socialsecurity.gov/OP_Home/cfr20/404/404-1520.htm
- https://www.disabilitylawfirmnc.com/ssa-five-step-evaluation/
- http://www.ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/1.00-Musculoskeletal-Adult.htm#1_05
