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OREN & OREN

Disability Lawyers in Fresno, Bakersfield, and all of San Joaquin Valley

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Bakersfield Social Security Disability Attorneys Explain SSD Requirements

Posted on May 6, 2013 by jpdisab

Bakersfield social security disability attorneysYour Bakersfield Social Security disability attorneys can explain to you the five stages through which the Social Security Administration determines your qualifications for disability. Once the finding is made, the process stops.

The five stages are called sequential because if, at any step, you are deemed qualified or unqualified, the process ends. The stages are as follows:

1. Do you meet SSA standards for “substantial gainful activity” (SGA)?

2. Has a medical practitioner designated your condition “severe”?

3. Is your condition “equal” to one found in the “Listing of Impairments”?

4. Given your “residual functional capacity” (RFC), can you perform your “past relevant work” (PRW)?

5. All things considered (time of life, RFC, schooling), can you do another job that is currently available?

Terminology
Ask your Bakersfield Social Security disability attorneys about the specific legal definitions of the words enclosed in quotation marks.

Time Requirements
Your impairment has to continue for one full year.

Are You Disabled?
In short, you have two primary ways to qualify for SSI. Either your condition meets step three, in which case the process stops there, or it must meet all of the others ending at step five.

Or Not?
1. Are you engaged in “substantial gainful activity”?

2. Has a medical practitioner stated that you have no impairment or one that does not interfere with your work?

3. Have you had this condition for less than twelve months?

4. Can you perform your PRW?

5. Can you do another job?

If the answer to any of the above is yes, you are probably not disabled.

What Else Is There?
Not all of the requirements are disability related. You must have made adequate Social Security tax payments through your work history to earn the work quarters required to apply, and your income and assets must fall within specific limits.

Who Can Help?
If your concerned about your ability to qualify for SSI please contact us.

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Frequently asked questions

Should I apply for disability? How long does the disability process take? When should I apply for benefits? What does a disability attorney do? When am I likely to receive a hearing? What are disability hearings like? What happens if my disability appeal is late? What is the most common disability mistake?

The disability evaluation process

Answers to 8 common questions Examples of who is and is not disabled The sequential evaluation process A large bureaucracy Glossary

Disability forms

Employment questionnaire Monthly headache diary Monthly wage information Activities questionnaire

Disability appeals

The appeals process Good cause for late appeals

Your disability hearing

Advice for your Social Security disability hearing Answers to 14 common questions The hearing Your testimony Lay witnesses Vocational issues

After a favorable decision

Answers to 25 questions Delayed benefits Questions about working part-time Continuing disability reviews

Legal issues

Alcohol or drug addiction Borderline age Chemical sensitivity and environmental illness Chronic fatigue syndrome Fibromyalgia Illiteracy Inability to afford treatment Inability to speak English Inability to stoop Lupus Manipulative limitations Severe impairment definition Subjective pain complaints Worn-out worker regulation
Areas Served: We handle Social Security disability claims for claimants from the San Joaquin Valley in California, including these counties and cities:

Counties: Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, and Tulare.

Cities: Fresno County: Fresno, Clovis, and Reedley. Kern County: Bakersfield, Delano, Ridgecrest, and Wasco. Kings County: Hanford. Madera County: Madera. Tulare County: Visalia, Tulare, and Porterville.

Bakersfield Disability Law Office: 1801 Oak Street, Bakersfield, CA 93301

Experienced disability lawyers in Fresno:Oren & Oren Law
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