Social Security has a Listing of Impairments online that lists conditions that Social Security considers disabling, and the symptoms and severity they expect to see.
Think of the Listing of Impairments as your cheat-sheet for the application. This is the criteria Social Security will use to see if you meet the medical standards for disability. Find your condition(s) and read the description of it. If your condition isn’t listed, try to find a similar one.
Ask yourself these questions:
Is my condition this severe?
Do I have these symptoms?
Do I have medical documentation that shows that I have these symptoms, at this severity level?
If you said yes, keep going!
Write a statement about how your disability impacts you, using the Listing of Impairments as your guide. A paragraph or two is enough.
This statement will help you fill out forms and prepare for the interview, if you have one.
<aside> <img src="/icons/info-alternate_gray.svg" alt="/icons/info-alternate_gray.svg" width="40px" />
Social Security won’t ask you for this statement; it’s not an official part of the application. We recommend that you write a narrative to help you think about how your disability impacts you, using the language that Social Security uses.
</aside>
<aside> <img src="/icons/checkmark_green.svg" alt="/icons/checkmark_green.svg" width="40px" />
To Do: Write a 1-2 paragraph statement about how your disability impacts you. Use language from the Listing of Impairments.
</aside>