There are several questions the Social Security Administration asks when determining whether an individual is disabled or not. The definition of disabled is different under Social Security than under other programs, as Social Security give benefits only in cases of full disability. There are no payable benefits for partial or short term disability.

Disabled under Social Security is based on an inability to work. An individual is considered disabled by SSA rules if he/she cannot perform the same line of work as before, cannot adjust to other work because of a debilitating medical condition(s), and the disability has lasted or is expected to last for at least one year or to result in death.

To decide if a person is disabled, Social Security uses a series of five questions:

• First, are you working? If you are working in the current calendar year and earn more than one thousand dollars per month on average, you generally cannot be considered disabled.

• Second, is your condition severe? Your condition must interfere with basic work related activities for the claim to be considered.

• Third, is your condition found in the list of disabling conditions? These conditions are listed on the SSA website. For each of the major body systems there are specific conditions considered so severe they automatically deem you as disabled. If your condition is not on the list, the Social Security Administration will utilize other means to determine your eligibility for benefits.

• Fourth, can you do the work you did previously? If you have a severe condition but not the same or equal level of severity as a medical condition on the list, then the SSA will determine if your condition interferes with your ability to do the work you had done prior to the condition. If it does not, your disability claim will most likely be denied.

• Fifth, can you do any other type of work? If you are unable to do the work you have done in the past, the SSA will see if you are able to adjust to another line of work. They will consider education, past work experience, medical condition and age as factors, as well as transferable skills you may have. If it is found you cannot adjust to other work, it is probable that your claim will be approved. If it is deemed that you can adjust to other work, your claim will be denied.

These are the most common ways in which one is able to qualify for Social Security Disability benefits. However, the SSA publishes a list of special cases on their website. These include special rules for people who are blind or have low vision, benefits for widows or widowers who are disabled, benefits for children who are disabled, and benefits for Wounded Warriors.