Social Security Disability Definitions
Disability
In order to be found disabled under Social Security's rules, you must have a “severe” mental or physical impairment, or a combination of impairments, that prevents you from performing your past work or any other type of work. Your impairment or impairments must have lasted for twelve continuous months or be expected to last that long or result in death.
Social Security has a strict definition of disability and does not provide short-term disability benefits like private insurance companies.
Severe impairment
An impairment is an injury, illness, or medical condition.
Social Security’s definition of “severe” as it relates to impairments is different from the common definition. For your impairment to be considered “severe” by Social Security, it must only cause more than a mild limitation on your ability to function and work.
Having an impairment does not necessarily mean that you are disabled because of it. Your impairment must be bad enough to limit your daily functioning and ability to work. Under Social Security’s rules, just because you can no longer do the type of work that you have done in the past does not necessarily mean you can’t do some other type of work.
Substantial gainful activity
You should apply for Social Security disability benefits as soon as you feel you are disabled and can’t work. When you apply for disability, Social Security checks to see if you are currently earning any money. If you are working and your earnings average over $900 a month in 2007, you are not eligible for Social Security disability payments even if you are disabled. Social Security considers regular income over $900 a month in 2007 as “substantial gainful activity ( SGA ).” But if you make less than that amount and feel you are disabled because of a medical condition, Social Security will perform a medical review of your claim.