Basic Work-Related Activities: Can You Do Them?

You know that you can’t do your job. Your injury or illness has left you permanently disabled and unable to meet the requirements of your job description. While that may be relevant to your Social Security disability claim, that is not all the Social Security Administration (SSA) wants to know about your condition affects your ability to work.

More Specifically the SSA Wants to Know If You Can Perform “Basic Work-Related Activities”

In order for your condition to be considered severe, you must be unable to complete basic work-related activities as defined by the SSA. The SSA categorizes basic work-related activities as follows:

Physical Activities. Physical activities include things such as lifting, carrying, standing, pushing, pulling, and non-exertional activities specifically described by the SSA.
Mental Activities. Mental activities include things such as the ability to understand, remember, and implement simple instructions, the ability to make simple work-related decisions or judgments, the ability to respond appropriately to supervisors, coworkers, and others in a work environment, and the ability to deal appropriately with changes in a routine work setting.

If you are applying for Social Security disability then you should be prepared to explain how your condition impacts the activities listed above.

Be Prepared to Make Your Case

The burden is on you to make your claim. Accordingly, you want to provide the SSA with everything that it needs to make a prompt and accurate determination of disability for you. If you need help doing that then we encourage you to read our FREE guide, Social Security Disability: What You Need to Know, and to watch our free videos.

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