Social Security Disability

Congress has defined Disability 

under both the 

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) 

and 

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 

Programs as the inability "to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or which has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than twelve months."

The Social Security Act further provides that: 

An Individual shall be determined to be Under a Disability only if 

Physical or Mental Impairment is of such Severity that the person is

Unable to do the Previous Work 

but cannot, considering age, education, and work experience, engage in any other kind of substantial gainful work which exists in the national economy, regardless of whether such work exists in the immediate area in which the claimant lives, or whether a specific job vacancy exists, or whether the claimant would be hired if applied for work