How Does the SSA Decide Whether I Can Work Despite My Pennsylvania Disability?

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How Does the SSA Decide Whether I Can Work Despite My Pennsylvania Disability?

How Does the SSA Decide Whether I Can Work Despite My Pennsylvania Disability?

If you have a disability and can still perform some work tasks, you might be wondering whether it will affect your eligibility for Pennsylvania disability benefits. It is true that the Social Security Administration (SSA) will evaluate your past and current work skills to determine what degree of disability insurance you need, but this does not always mean you will receive no disability benefits if you can still perform some work tasks. You can talk to a Pennsylvania individual disability insurance attorney if you have any concerns about this.

How the SSA Evaluates Past and Current Work Skills in Pennsylvania

When it comes to evaluating Pennsylvania work performance for disability benefits, the SSA will look at your past work performance first and then your current work skills. Your past work skills are examined to differentiate the work skills you had before your disability from the work skills you currently have with the limitations of your disability. In terms of your current work abilities, the SSA will compare your past to current work performance in the following areas:

  • Physical abilities and strength.How Does the SSA Decide Whether I Can Work Despite My Pennsylvania Disability?
  • How much you can tolerate environmental conditions like extreme heat or coldness, noise, hazards, vibrations, fumes, and complex machinery.
  • Your attention levels with various distractions.
  • How you cope with changes in the workplace.
  • Whether you can fully understand and accurately implement work instructions.
  • Vision, hearing, and speech.
  • Your ability to give appropriate and clear responses to employees or supervisors.

To figure out whether your disability impairs your ability to perform the work you have done in the past, the SSA will look at how you conducted this past work and how this work is usually conducted. Past work means work you have done for the past 15 years that involves activities you have done long enough to know them as second nature. Depending on the results, the SSA may deem you not disabled.

Will Working Affect My Pennsylvania Disability Benefits?

Even if you can return to work with your disability or as your disability improves, you may still have access to disability benefits through Pennsylvania SSA work programs. These work programs include the Ticket to Work program and work incentives like continued cash benefits, Medicare or Medicaid benefits, and assistance with work training. The Ticket to Work program offers training, referrals to various employers that are tailored to your skillset, and free rehabilitation for work.

There are different requirements and processes you may have to go through depending on whether you are applying for Pennsylvania Social Security Disability benefits or Supplemental Security Income. Talk with a lawyer to learn more.

Disability Lawyer in Pennsylvania

Figuring out your eligibility for disability benefits when your work skills are not fully diminished by your disability can be challenging. Try talking with a Pennsylvania disability lawyer if you have any questions about this and we can help you figure out your options. Feel free to call Edelstein & Nelson today at 800-887-4529 for a consultation. Our legal team of Pennsylvania disability lawyers can help you check your eligibility and collect any evidence you need for your disability claim.