Social Security has a five-step sequential process that it uses in order to determine if you are disabled. In short, here is how it works. First of all, they are going to look at your impairment and they are going to ask whether or not it is severe. Do they really think you are suffering from a physical or psychological problem that is preventing you from working. Naturally, if you are working at the time you file a claim, they are going to make a decision that you are not disabled because you are actually able to engage in what they call substantial gainful activity. At the heart of the analysis is whether or not you can’t work. And many people make a mistake – many people think that means they can’t do the job they are doing today. But that in fact is not the inquiry that occurs. The reality is it’s whether or not you can work at all. So even if you have a sophisticated job, if you are still able to do something very simple, then you are not going to be deemed disabled.
