Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits can provide much-needed financial support when an illness or injury leaves you unable to work. However, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has strict eligibility requirements that you must meet to qualify for benefits.
One key factor the SSA considers is your residual functional capacity (RFC), which describes your ability to work despite your disabling condition. Understanding how the SSA determines your RFC is essential for maximizing your chances of being approved for the SSDI benefits you deserve.
As a Louisiana Social Security disability lawyer with decades of experience, Phillip Hendry has helped countless individuals navigate the complex SSDI application process. Here’s what you need to know about residual functional capacity assessments and how they impact your disability claim.
What Is Residual Functional Capacity?
Residual functional capacity refers to the most work you can do regularly and continuously despite the limitations caused by your physical or mental impairments. It is a key factor the SSA uses to determine if you can engage in substantial gainful activity (SGA).
When evaluating your RFC, the SSA looks at your ability to perform work-related physical and mental activities such as:
- Sitting, standing, and walking
- Lifting and carrying
- Pushing and pulling
- Reaching, handling, and fingering
- Seeing, hearing, and speaking
- Understanding and remembering instructions
- Interacting appropriately with others
- Maintaining concentration and pace
- Adapting to changes in the work setting
The SSA uses the information in your medical records and statements from you and those who know you well to assess your RFC. They will consider factors such as:
- Your medical history
- Clinical and laboratory findings
- Effects of treatment
- Statements from medical sources
- Descriptions of your daily activities
- Evidence from attempts to work
- Recorded observations
- Need for a structured setting
Based on this information, the SSA will determine if your RFC allows you to perform your past relevant work or any other work that exists in significant numbers in the national economy. If not, you may qualify for benefits.
Types of Residual Functional Capacity
The SSA recognizes five different physical RFC levels:
- Sedentary work. At this RFC level, you can only stand or walk for up to two hours of an eight-hour workday, and you can’t lift more than ten pounds occasionally or five pounds frequently.
- Light work. Light work means that you can only stand or walk for up to six hours out of an eight-hour workday and cannot lift more than 20 pounds occasionally or 10 pounds frequently.
- Medium work. At this next RFC level, you can still only stand or walk for up to six hours out of an eight-hour workday, but you can lift up to 50 pounds occasionally or 25 pounds frequently.
- Heavy work. You can do heavy work if you can stand and walk well enough to do medium work and lift up to 100 pounds occasionally and 50 pounds frequently.
- Very heavy work. At this last RFC level, you can stand and walk well enough to do heavy work and lift more than 100 pounds occasionally and more than 50 pounds frequently.
Your RFC will often fall in the sedentary to light range, but an RFC for medium or heavy work may apply on rare occasions.
Mental Residual Functional Capacity
In addition to your physical RFC, the SSA will also assess your mental RFC if you have a severe mental impairment. The SSA evaluates your mental abilities and limitations in four areas:
- Understanding, remembering, or applying information
- Interacting with others
- Concentrating, persisting, or maintaining pace
- Adapting or managing yourself
Your mental RFC will express whether you can perform unskilled, semi-skilled, or skilled work on a sustained basis. Limitations in cognitive functioning may eliminate skilled and semi-skilled jobs, restricting you to simple, unskilled work.
Challenges with Residual Functional Capacity
Residual functional capacity assessments are often the most challenging aspect of an SSDI claim. Some key issues that can arise include:
- Lack of objective medical evidence. The SSA gives the most weight to objective findings like lab tests and clinical exams. However, many conditions (especially mental impairments) don't have clear-cut objective evidence.
- Varying severity of symptoms. The SSA may focus on your level of functioning when symptoms are mild and underestimate the limiting effects of your condition over time.
- Combination of impairments. Most SSDI claimants have multiple physical or mental conditions. When assessing your RFC, the SSA must consider the combined effects of all your impairments, even those that are non-severe.
- Inconsistent statements. The SSA will compare your description of your limitations to the medical evidence and statements from others. Inconsistencies can hurt your credibility and lead to a less restrictive RFC.
- Overlooked evidence. The SSA must evaluate all evidence that could impact your RFC. However, sometimes relevant medical records or non-medical evidence are missed, resulting in an inaccurate RFC.
How an Experienced Lawyer Can Help
A skilled Social Security disability lawyer can make all the difference in ensuring proper assessment of your RFC. Using their in-depth knowledge of the SSDI process, they will take steps to develop a strategy for success. For example, a lawyer may:
- Gather and review all pertinent medical documentation
- Follow up on any missing or incomplete records
- Resolve discrepancies between your statements and the objective evidence
- Obtain detailed opinion statements from your doctors and other treatment providers
- Interview family, friends, and former colleagues to get their observations about your limitations
- Highlight the combined effects of all your health conditions when presenting your case to the SSA
- Provide skilled representation at your disability hearing, including questioning vocational and medical experts
- Develop a persuasive theory of disability to prove you meet the SSA's strict eligibility criteria
- Advocate relentlessly for a fully favorable decision
Don't let an inaccurate RFC assessment prevent you from getting the Social Security disability benefits you need and deserve. Contact Phillip M. Hendry Law today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation. We will review your case, answer your questions, and advise you on the best path forward.