RELEVANCE OF EDUCATION TO DISABILITY

"Ordinarily, even a high school education or more which was completed in the remote past will have little positive impact on a vocational adjustment unless relevant work experience reflects use of such skills."  (20 Code of Federal Regulations, 404 (P)(202.00)(c).


As a person becomes older, it becomes more difficult for them to adjust to new work.  Education or skills that may have been relevant 20 years ago may not be useful today.    Social Security usually considers age to be a positive influence on work ability until age 45, where it becomes a disadvantage.
Individuals who are 45 or older and restricted to a sedentary exertion level, have no transferable job skill, have no relevant past work that they can still perform and have no skills that will allow them to enter skilled work will normally qualify as disabled.  An advanced level of education, however, would suggest that the claimant might find skilled or semi-skilled work that he can still perform.


Under age 45, Social Security views age as no barrier to entering unskilled work, even if work is restricted to light or sedentary exertion due to an impairment.  Lack of education is generally not as important as long as the claimant is literate (can read, write and speak English).


Another consideration that should be thrown into the equation is mental health or psychological impairment.  Psychological impairments, and the functional limitations they impose, are generally not affected by age, level of education or exertional limitations.


For example, a person who is 20 years old, has a high school education or more and is capable of heavy exertion may be found disabled because of a serious mental impairment that results in such limitations as the inability to focus or concentrate, get along with supervisors, co-workers or the public; or make adjustments to changes in the work routine, etc.


A claimant may qualify for Social Security disability because he or she is not able to perform persistent work-like activities because of either physical or mental impairments.  The impairment must be "medically determinable," however.


As a Social Security disability advocate, my job is to consider all of the medical and vocational data (impairments, severity, symptoms, age, education, work experience) and find evidence that will be suitable to Social Security to prove a disability.


This process can be difficult when one knows exactly what he is looking for, and nearly impossible if he doesn't  Therein, I think, lies the great advantage in  having experienced representation.  The representative knows what to look for.


This link to my website will explain the role of a Social Security advocate in more detail.

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