If you’re under 50 and thinking about Social Security Disability, I want to clear up one thing right away: there are many paths that work, but some are much stronger than others.

The strongest argument, and the one judges are most willing to approve, is showing that you can’t sit, stand, or walk for a combined eight hours in a workday. This is Plan A if it applies to you. Sometimes that limitation is obvious from medical records alone, but getting a clear statement from your doctor saying you can’t complete a full workday is often the icing on the cake. It makes an already strong case much harder to deny.

The second way is showing that you would miss at least two days of work per month because of your medical condition. Judges are generally less enthusiastic about this argument, especially if it’s based on testimony alone. Instead, the stronger approach is documenting concrete proof, frequent doctor appointments, overnight hospital stays, or longer hospitalizations that clearly explain why you’d miss that much work.

The third option is proving that you’d be off task 15 to 20 percent of the workday. This is the most subjective of the three, and while it can be approved if your records make it obvious, it’s much safer to have a doctor spell this out directly in a medical opinion.

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If you want to book a call with our team to discuss applying for disability, call us at 972-532-6375 or book a time using this link.