How do you qualify for disability in South Carolina?   The definition of disability for Social Security purposes is basically as follows: a person may be considered to be disabled when: A) they have a medically determinable mental or physical condition that has prevented them from engaging in substantial work activity for twelve months OR B) they have a medically determinable mental or physical condition that is expected to prevent substantial work activity for twelve months OR C) they have a medically determinable mental or physical condition that is expected to result in death. To recap, for Social Security Disability and SSI disability eligibility in South Carolina, an individual must have a severe impairment that prevents them from engaging in work activity at the SGA or substantial gainful activity level for 12 months or longer (or, as mentioned, may result in death). In addition to a claimant's vocational history, i.e. when the individual stopped working (and earning at least the substantial gainful activity amount), Social Security has to consider medical information in order to make a medical determination. Generally, Social Security likes to have at least a twelve month longitudinal treatment history to make their decision. The disability system that the federal government uses requires Social Security to determine if a person is able to perform any of the jobs he performed in the past 15 years at a substantial work level. If they determine that his mental health problems prevent him from performing his past work, they have to consider whether or not his residual functional capacity and other factors (age, education, work skills) rules out the possibility of performing suitable types of "other work". Resources: 1. What does social security mean by other work? 2. Social Security Disability, SSI, and Residual Functional Capacity, RFC 3. What does social security mean by past work? 4. What is SGA (Substantial Gainful Activity)? About the Author: Tim Moore is a former Social Security Disability Examiner in North Carolina, has been interviewed by the NY Times and the LA Times on the disability system, and is an Accredited Disability Representative (ADR) in North Carolina. For assistance on a disability application or Appeal in NC, click here. Most popular topics on SSDRC.com Social Security Disability in North Carolina Common Mistakes to avoid after being denied for Disability Tips to Prepare for Filing for Social Security Disability or SSI Advice to Win SSD and SSI Benefit Claims Social Security Disability SSI Questions What is the difference between Social Security Disability and SSI? How to get disability for depression Getting disability for fibromyalgia SSI disability for children with ADHD What is the Application Process for Social Security Disability and SSI? 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