Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is a federally funded program managed by the Social Security Disability Administration (SSA) for people whose disability prevents them from working. The SSA uses different strength levels to determine whether a person is eligible for disability benefits. These include light and sedentary work. But what is sedentary vs. light duty?
Sedentary work requires employees to be able to sit for up to six hours in an eight-hour workday and occasionally lift up to ten pounds. Light duty work requires employees to be able to stand or walk for up to six hours in an eight-hour shift and frequently lift 10 pounds and frequently up 20 pounds.
Keep reading below for more information.
What is SSDI?
Disability Insurance Benefits from Social Security are paid for by the federal government and managed by the Social Security Administration. Suppose you paid into Social Security for a sufficient amount of time and are disabled by an illness or injury that will either keep you from working for a year or more or is expected to result in your death.
If that is the case, you should apply for Social Security Disability Insurance.
Guidelines for Social Security Disability Insurance Eligibility
The criteria for Social Security disability benefits are rigorous. According to SSA law, a person must be “unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity because of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death, or which has lasted or is expected to last for a continuous period of at least 12 months.”
In addition, the applicant’s impairments or combination of impairments must be so severe that it prevents them from performing their previous jobs and engaging in any other substantial gainful work available in the national economy, given their age, level of education, and prior employment history.
If a person has a steady source of income that exceeds a certain threshold, then they are considered engaged in substantial gainful activity.
As inflation affects wages, the sum will also increase or decrease annually. In some cases, work-related expenses, like those for a wheelchair or an attendant, can eat into a person’s take-home pay.
The person may be eligible for benefits if their net monthly earnings are less than the SGA cap and after taking into account allowable work-related deductions.
The Social Security Administration relies on medical and vocational assessments conducted by state agencies following federal guidelines to determine whether or not an applicant is disabled. The applicant’s age, level of education, and work history, among other factors, are also considered.
Payments will not start until five months have passed since the onset of the disability. Individuals would be eligible to receive their first Social Security disability payment in July if they sustained a disabling injury in January and met Social Security’s disability criteria.
Residual Functional Capacity Explained
After performing both a mental and physical evaluation of an applicant for Social Security disability benefits, a disability claims examiner will complete a “Residual Functional Capacity” (RFC) assessment form.
This will be done before the Social Security Administration decides whether the applicant suffers from a disability that prevents them from being able to work. The SSA occasionally lets you choose your doctor to fill out the form.
How long you can walk or stand and how much weight you can lift, carry, push, or pull all contribute to your overall assessment. The occasional weight you can lift is evaluated on a scale from 10 to 100 pounds.
If you’re asked whether you prefer to stand or walk, consider whether your typical break time is (i) less than two hours in an eight-hour workday, (ii) between two and six hours in an eight-hour workday, or (iii) longer than six hours in an eight-hour workday.
To answer the question about pushing and pulling, please indicate whether you are (i) completely able to use hand and/or foot controls without any limitations other than those specifically related to lifting and/or carrying. Describe the nature and degree of the limitation; (ii) completely unable to use hand and/or foot controls (describe nature and degree of the limitation.) The examiner also notes whether or not the applicant has any difficulties hearing or communicating.
Reasons to Get an RFC Assessment
The goal of calculating your “residual functional capacity” is to pinpoint the specific ways in which you are unable to perform your job duties due to impairments. A DDS (Disability Determination Services) doctor will typically fill out the residual functional capacity form.
Sadly, DDS doctors often deliberately misstate patients’ abilities on RFC forms to increase their chances of having their disability benefits appealed and ultimately denied.
If you prefer, your doctor can submit an RFC application on your behalf. An RFC for a physician is available on the Social Security Administration’s website. You must insist your doctor be as detailed as possible when completing an RFC on your behalf.
Your chances of being approved increase directly with the number of supportive medical documents you present.
What is Sedentary Work?
Work that does not require lifting more than 10 pounds at a time is considered sedentary or light duty. Sometimes you’ll have to move around light objects like ledgers, tools, and docket files.
Even though the term “sedentary” refers to work that requires a lot of sitting, most jobs still require at least some walking and standing. Typically, this means that you won’t be able to sit for six out of eight hours a day and will have to stand or walk for two of those hours.
Sedentary work is considered when determining a person’s eligibility for disability benefits because it is categorized as light-duty work requiring lifting up to 10 pounds. You must provide evidence of your total disability status during the claims process.
You need to show that you can’t do even the lightest kind of work—sedentary work—to qualify as disabled according to the Social Security Administration’s rules.
Sedentary work entails a lot of moving around and not much sitting. The SSA considers the specific needs of sedentary work, which include lifting, walking, and standing.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) will conduct a residual functional capacity assessment to establish the types of work you can still perform despite your disability. The RFC will specify any restrictions you may face at work because of your disability. To find out how much you can do daily, weekly, and monthly, you’ll need to take the RFC test.
The SSA can only go by the signs and limitations that are listed in your medical records, so it is imperative that you provide as much detail as possible about your condition. For this reason, having your doctor fill out an RFC on your behalf can be very helpful, as the SSA gives weight to the advice of your treating physician when deciding your claim.
What is Light Work?
When deciding whether or not to approve a claim for Social Security Disability benefits, the Social Security Administration takes into account the applicant’s age, education level, and work history to determine whether or not the condition prevents the individual from performing basic job functions.
The type of work you have done and the work you might be able to do are both considered as they look over your employment history, experience, education, and other qualifications.
The SSA classifies jobs into broad categories in both cases. The work you can do, even if you have physical or mental limitations, and your past work are both classified.
The SSA uses several basic classifications of job duties. One is “light work” which is described as a position where the worker is not typically involved in lifting and/or carrying more than 10 pounds. However, they may be expected to do so occasionally if the position calls for lifting more than 20 pounds at a time.
Furthermore, light work may frequently involve standing, moving around, pushing, and pulling while seated, as well as positions that call for the use of one’s arms, legs, or both to push or pull levers or other mechanical devices.
You will not qualify for disability benefits from the Social Security Administration if they determine that you can perform light work and if your past employment and education also fit this description. The Social Security Administration won’t grant you disability because your health won’t prevent you from doing your job.
However, the Social Security Administration may determine that you are entitled to SSD benefits if they establish that you cannot undertake light work and your prior work experience falls within the light work category. That’s because you can’t do the kinds of jobs for which you’d be best suited for due to your health issues.
The Social Security Administration will also rule that a candidate is capable of sedentary work if they can carry out light work. In some cases, they may stipulate that the applicant seek out work that falls under the category of sedentary work if their background, experience, and education qualify them for such work.
What is Sedentary vs. Light Duty?
The differences between the two levels of strength are described below.
Physical Exertion
Working sedentary requires you to be able to sit for up to six of an eight-hour shift and to occasionally lift up to ten pounds.
To be considered suitable for light work, one must be able to stand and walk for up to six hours in an eight-hour workday and frequently lift up to ten pounds and occasionally lift up to twenty.
Types of Jobs
“Sit-down” jobs are typically found in an office or production line. A telemarketer, an accountant, or an assembly line worker for semiconductors are all examples of sedentary occupations. Regular use of your hands to type, operate controls, or grasp and hold objects is typically required for these jobs.
Retail and the service sector are common places to find entry-level work. Tasks like cashiering, fast food work, and stocking shelves would be considered light. Having the ability to talk to and reach out to people for extended periods of time and to use your arms in all directions (including overhead, in front of you, and to the sides) are common requirements of these types of jobs.
Disability Determination
The Social Security Administration developed a set of rules known as the medical-vocational grid rules (or simply “the grid”) to decide when applicants above the age of 50 could be considered disabled because the agency doesn’t expect applicants to change careers or learn new skill sets when they’re getting near their full retirement age.
The Social Security Administration may determine that a person over the age of 50 is disabled if they are unable to perform their previous job and have no transferable skills.
To be considered disabled by the Social Security Administration if you are under 50, you must demonstrate that you cannot perform even the most menial of sedentary tasks.
For claimants over the age of 55 with a residual functional capacity (RFC) for light work, the medical-vocational grid rules may lead to a disability determination based on the claimant’s education, previous employment history, and transferable skills.
Some examples illustrate how the grid rules affect beneficiaries 55 and up.
Rule 202.01
Over the age of 55 and didn’t finish high school
Lack of or inability to obtain skilled employment in the last 15 years
Conclusion: Disabled
Rule 202.06
55 and older and graduated high school
Experience in high- or medium-skilled labor with limited transferability to other occupations
Conclusion: Disabled
Rule 202.07
55 and older and graduated high school
Skilled or semi-skilled, with transferable skills
Conclusion: Not disabled
Conclusion
It’s crucial to understand what sedentary vs. light duty work is in order to understand whether you are eligible for the Social Security Disability program. It also prepares you for the next steps you can take if you are denied disability.
