Social Security Drops Jobs Deemed Obsolete That Were Previously Used To Deny Florida Long-Term Disability Claims

If you have earned enough work credits and have a qualifying condition, you may be entitled to Social Security disability benefits in Florida. These help to cover lost income in the event you are unable to work for a year or longer. Unfortunately, getting your benefits approved is a time-consuming process, with many claims denied on the first try.

One factor used to determine whether you are eligible for benefits is whether your condition prevents you from performing your job or any other work in the national economy. Our Orlando Social Security disability lawyer explains how some jobs previously used to deny claims are now deemed obsolete.

Assessing Your Ability To Work When Applying For Social Security Disability Benefits In Florida 

Social Security disability benefits can cover close to two-thirds of your lost wages if you are unable to work for longer than a year. To be eligible, you must have earned the required forty work credits and have a qualifying medical condition. Once you file an application, the Social Security Administration generally takes anywhere between six months to a year to review claims.

They use a multi-step, sequential evaluation process. Step Five involves looking at various factors to determine whether you are unable to perform not only your job but any other type of employment in the national economy. These include:

• Your age: The older you are, the more the ability to perform some jobs may be diminished.
• Your education: While you may be physically capable of performing a job, you may not have the required education or training.
• Your work experience: The types of work you previously performed and have experience in may not apply across other fields.
• Your residual functional capacity (RFC): This is an assessment of how much work you could potentially do, despite your disability.

How Obsolete Jobs Can Lead To Denied Social Security Disability Claims

The Social Security Administration (SSA) denies nearly three-quarters of newly submitted disability applications. Common reasons include:

• Mistakes on your application or leaving areas blank;
• Not providing medical records and other documentation;
• Not having a qualifying condition;
• Not earning enough work credits;
• Being disabled but able to perform work in other fields.

Being able to perform other work is a valid reason for denied claims, but some of the more than 12,000 occupations used by the SSA are obsolete. They include conveyor belt workers, telephone switchboard operators, and wire service representatives. Acknowledging only a limited number of these jobs exist, the SSA announced on June 22, 2024 that it was removing them and over a hundred others from the list.

To Get The Benefits You Are Entitled To, Contact Our Florida Social Security Disability Lawyer

Farrell Disability Law has extensive experience helping clients get the benefits they are entitled to. We guide you through the claims process and deal with the SSA on your behalf. Call or contact our Florida Social Security disability lawyer and request a consultation in our Orlando or Jacksonville office today.