Directions for Disability

To the average person, Medical-Vocational Guidelines probably sound very complex and intimidating.  But to an Ocala Social Security disability attorney, Medical-Vocational Guidelines are simply part of the everyday world of disability benefits.

Why were Medical-Vocational Guidelines created?

Medical-Vocational Guidelines were created by the Social Security Administration to determine the number of jobs that exist for those with residual functional capacity (RFC), depending on the person’s age, work experience, and education. In those cases where disability is difficult to determine, the Medical-Vocational Guidelines are used to establish the rules for assessing disability based upon the impact of the person’s education, work history, and age.

Does age affect the Medical-Vocational Guidelines?

Age does make a difference in determining your RFC. It is a vocational expert’s job to determine the number of jobs that a person is capable of performing based upon RFC if he or she is either: (a) younger than 50 years of age, or (b) illiterate or unable to converse in English and under age 45. However, your Ocala Social Security disability attorney can tell you that age is only one factor. In fact, the Medical-Vocational Guidelines dictate that the decision maker can refuse to grant a person disability status if he or she can complete a substantial number of jobs (regardless of age).

How does the law determine disability?

If a disability claimant is of a specific age, education, and work experience, and—most importantly—is able to do a complete range of light work, he or she will not be found disabled. If the same person was only able to perform sedentary work, then he or she will be considered disabled.

 It is always advisable to trust a professional when dealing with something as important as disability benefits.  To schedule an initial consultation with an experienced Ocala Social Security disability attorney, call the CJ Henry Law Firm, PLLC at (352) 304-5300.