Getting Disability by Arguing You Can't Even Do Sedentary Work

For the Social Security Administration to approve your disability claim, you must prove physical and/or mental limitations prevent you from performing jobs you previously held and earned wages. In addition, this disability must be severe enough to prevent you from performing less demanding work than work you were used to doing. For example, if you worked as an administrative assistant for 30 years and could no longer type on a keyboard or sit for long periods due to osteoarthritis affecting your hip joints and fingers, you may qualify for disability benefits since working as an administrative assistant has been your primary job throughout your life.

What is Sedentary Work?

SSA defines the physical requirements of jobs as:

• Sedentary–work requiring hours of sitting down. Sedentary work also includes lifting 10 pounds or less, occasionally carrying small, lightweight objects and walking/standing no more than two hours each day
• Light work--lifting 20 pounds or less, frequently carrying and/or lifting 10 pounds or less and spending most of the day walking or standing
• Medium work--if you can lift up to 50 pounds and frequently carry/lift up to 25 pounds, then the SSA considers you capable of doing medium work

Heavy to very heavy work–the ability to lift 50 to 100 pounds and carry/lift 50 pounds, your disability claim will likely be denied as long as you cannot prove a mental disability that prevents you from performing heavy to very heavy work.

What Kind of Limitations Prevent You from Performing Sedentary Work?

The Social Security Administration calls these limitations “physical exertional limitations”. Examples of physical exertional limitations include:

• Inability to lift at least 10 pounds
• Needing a cane, walker or other hand-held device to help with walking
• Needing to keep one leg elevated most of the time to prevent pain and swelling
• Amputations below the elbows
• Inability to remain seated for six out of eight hours (a typical work day)

Proving you cannot work a sedentary job is difficult because of the low standards of physical requirements of jobs as defined by the SSA. Let an experienced disability representative handle your case and significantly increase your chance of being approved for SSI or SSDI benefits. Call our representative today to schedule a consultation appointment.