Plain-English guides built from public Social Security Administration sources: SSA.gov, the Listing of Impairments, POMS and 20 CFR. Every figure carries the year it applies to, because these rules change.
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- The 12-Month Rule: Lasting Long Enough for SSDI
Understand the SSDI 12-month duration requirement under 20 CFR 404.1509, how SSA evaluates episodic flare-ups, and proving lasting disability.
- Absenteeism Limits for Competitive Employment
Learn how absenteeism limits impact SSDI claims under 20 CFR 404.1545, why missing 2 days per month eliminates jobs, and how to document medical absences.
- Missed Work Days: How Many Prove Disability?
SSA sets no fixed number of missed work days that proves disability. The real test is whether flare-driven absences still allow sustained full-time work.
- Acceptable Medical Sources: Who Can Prove a Condition
SSA accepts proof of an impairment only from acceptable medical sources listed in 20 CFR 404.1502, now including PAs and nurse practitioners. See who counts.
- Adult ADHD and SSDI Eligibility
Adult ADHD can win SSDI under Listing 12.11 when records prove childhood onset plus serious limits in concentration, persistence, and pace at work.
- Age 50 vs 55: How Grid Rules Change at Birthdays
Learn how turning 50 and 55 changes SSDI eligibility under SSA grid rules. See when sedentary and light work claims flip from denial to disability approval.
- The Age 55 SSDI Rule: Approaching Advanced Age
Discover how turning 55 triggers SSA advanced age grid rules. Learn how claimants limited to light or sedentary work can qualify for SSDI disability benefits.
- Alcohol, Drugs, and Materiality in SSDI Claims
SSA asks whether you would still be disabled if alcohol or drug use stopped. That materiality question can decide an SSDI claim involving drug addiction or alcoholism.
- ALS and SSDI: Compassionate Allowance Facts
ALS meets SSDI Listing 11.10 on diagnosis alone and is a Compassionate Allowance, but work credits and medical proof still decide the outcome.
- Ankylosing Spondylitis and Inflammatory Back Pain
Qualifying for ankylosing spondylitis disability benefits under Blue Book Listing 14.09 requires proving spinal fusion, joint limits, or severe fatigue.
- How SSA Evaluates Anxiety and Panic Disorders
How SSA evaluates anxiety and panic disorder SSDI claims under Listing 12.06, from panic attack criteria to the four areas of mental functioning.
- 35 Years of Arduous Work: A Special Grid Profile
Learn how the special medical-vocational profile for 35 years of arduous work allows older laborers with marginal education to qualify for SSDI benefits.