When your SSDI claim is evaluated, one thing that gets a lot of attention is your ability to do work, both in the type of job you have been doing and in other types of jobs. Your age, educational history and relevant skills play into this. So does your medical documentation. Your doctor evaluates your injury and can give you and SSDI personnel an idea of whether other types of work are feasible.
For instance, say that you are 60 years old and work as a construction laborer. You have always done physical work and do not have a college degree. A back injury has sidelined you, and it does not seem like you will ever get well enough to resume physical work. In such a scenario, SSDI may conclude that your chances of doing work are low and grant you SSDI.
Your age
From SSDI’s perspective, the younger you are, the more time you have before retirement age to learn new skills. So, say you are a 30-year-old construction laborer who has a severe back injury that makes physical work virtually impossible.
Are you a candidate for something such as a job training program? Could college courses and a new career path benefit you? Possibly, so SSDI might not evaluate your claim as favorably as you would like. That said, back injuries can wreak havoc with even desk jobs, so be sure to approach your claim from many angles and ensure that your doctor knows to cover these bases.
Your educational history
If you have a college degree, SSDI may decide that you are capable of doing some type of work despite an injury in your physical job.
Your relevant skills
Say that you used to work as a salesperson or editor before going into construction work. SSDI could conclude that your injury does not prevent you from returning to your previous types of work or from finding similar type of work.
