• You have a medical condition that is expected to last at least one year or result in death
• You cannot do your past job; and
• You cannot adjust to a new job

SSA uses a 5-step process to decide if someone qualifies for benefits. They have a list of certain medical conditions they consider to be severe enough to prevent someone from working. If your condition is on the list – or is as severe as one on the list – SSA may find that you qualify for benefits.

But if your condition isn’t on the list, or isn’t as severe as one on the list, SSA will look at two key questions:

1. Can you do the work you used to do?
2. Can you adjust to a different kind of work?

To answer these questions, SSA looks at your residual functional capacity.

What Is “Residual Functional Capacity”?

Your residual functional capacity (RFC) is what you’re still able to do, even with your medical condition. SSA will consider:

• Physical abilities, like how long you can stand or sit, how much you can lift, or whether you can
  climb stairs, kneel or crouch. SSA also looks at whether you can see, hear, or speak
• Mental abilities, like understanding directions, focusing, remembering tasks, and making
  decisions
• Environmental limits, like sensitivity to heat, cold, chemicals, or noise

SSA uses your medical records and other information to figure out your RFC.

Can You Do Your Past Work?

SSA will look at the jobs you’ve had in the past 5 years, as long as you did the jobs long enough to learn them. They will ask about things such as:

• Job title and main responsibilities
• When and how long you worked
• How much you were paid
• How you completed your job tasks
• Whether you needed to use special tools or other equipment
• Whether you worked under close supervision or independently
• Physical demands of jobs
• When your medical condition started affecting your work and anything you had to change as a result

SSA compares your past job responsibilities to your current abilities (RFC). This helps them decide if you can still do the same kind of work.

Note: Before 2024, SSA looked at jobs from the past 15 years. Now, they only consider jobs from the past 5 years. SSA also does not look at jobs that started and ended in less than 30 days.

Can You Do Any Other Type of Work?

If SSA decides you can't return to your past work, it then looks at whether you can adjust to a new type of work. To decide, SSA considers:

• Your age – It may be harder for older adults to learn new jobs.
• Your education and training – SSA looks at how much schooling or job training you’ve had.
• Your work experience – SSA considers the types of skills you’ve used in past jobs.

SSA uses this information to see if you could learn and do another type of job—even if it’s different from your past work. SSA must determine that the type of work you can adjust to doing exists in your area or in other parts of the country.

Final Thoughts

Showing that you can’t do your past work or adjust to new work is an important part of applying for SSDI or SSI. SSA looks closely at your medical condition, abilities, work history, and personal background when making a decision.

Need help understanding the disability benefits process? Visit TriageCancer.org/DisabilityInsurance for free guides, videos, and other resources.